Wolf administration commits $5 million to college scholarships for state employees

• Jillian Forstadt/WESA
  BioRecent Stories

  

  Jillian Forstadt is a general assignment reporter at 90.5 WESA. Before moving to Pittsburgh, she covered affordable housing, homelessness and rural health care at WSKG Public Radio in Binghamton, New York. Her reporting has appeared on NPR’s Morning Edition.

Pennsylvania state leaders have launched a new scholarship program for state employees. Workers and their dependents can now get up to $2,000 a year for tuition, room and board at any of the 10 universities that are part of Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education (PASSHE).

Gov. Tom Wolf said the $5 million grant program will help officials develop the commonwealth’s workforce.

“These folks do the hard work of the commonwealth, and I am proud of the ways that we have modernized state employment to ensure we can attract and retain great employees who do their best for their fellow Pennsylvanians every day,” Wolf said in a statement Thursday. “This program will continue that progress and help our employees – and our commonwealth – continue to grow and provide the first-class service that Pennsylvanians deserve from state government.”

The PASSHE Foundation, the nonprofit arm of the state university system, will develop and implement the scholarship program. Eligible employees can receive up to $2,000 per academic year if enrolled full-time, and up to $1,000 for part-time students.

Scholarships can be applied to courses at any of the system’s universities, including Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania, Indiana University of Pennsylvania and Pennsylvania Western University, or PennWest. (PennWest is the recently created campus resulting from a merger of Clarion University, California University of Pennsylvania and Edinboro University).

Recipients can also use the grant money for online higher education programs through PennWest Global.

The fund comes just a few months after the administration announced it would partner with PASSHE to offer state employees a 20% discount on tuition for online degree programs through PennWest.

PASSHE’s leaders have been laser-focused on reversing the state system’s lagging enrollment figures. Total enrollment dropped by nearly 4,100 students from Fall 2021 to Fall 2022

Of all the universities in the system, PennWest saw the greatest decrease, with enrollment down nearly 12%.

“This additional financial aid is critical for many students to start college, complete their degree and have the advanced skills the state and other employers need,” said Lynn Miller, PASSHE Foundation Board Chair. “The scholarships enable more students of all ages to get an affordable degree or credential that propels them into good jobs, strengthens the workforce, creates economic security for their families and provides a tremendous return on investment.”

Eligible residents can apply for aid for the upcoming spring semester.