With college costs on the rise, Pennsylvania lawmakers are taking a look at ways to make higher education more affordable for students from the Keystone state.
At a hearing held Tuesday before the state House of Representatives Education Committee, representatives from several public and private colleges and universities discussed various college financial aid programs and incentives available to students in the state.
“An unfortunate reality for far too many students looking ahead to their future is the costs associated with a college degree are too expensive for them to burden,” said state Rep. Peter Schweyer (D-22), who represents parts of Lehigh County and is the committee’s Majority Chair. “While there have been a lot of steps recently undertaken in this year’s budget to address college affordability, including expand access to scholarships, there is still more we can be doing as legislators to ensure costs are manageable for students and their families.”
College affordability is impacted by the cost of textbooks, housing options, healthcare and other costs, and it affects students’ decisions to enroll and their ability to succeed, University Park Undergraduate Association president Zion Sykes told the committee.
“Keeping college affordable also involves ensuring that students do not take or retake credits for learning they have already accomplished, even if it took place outside of the traditional higher education setting,” said Dr. Bashar Hanna, President of Commonwealth University, during her testimony. “We are optimistic about the future of Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania and the impact we can have on our students’ lives.
The testimony from Tuesday’s hearing and other House Education Committee hearings can be found online.
This local news story was reported with generative AI assistance.