Chris Boehm, Director of Admission

Pennsylvania has it pretty good when it comes to funding education and Gov. Rendell and recent Pennsylvania General Assembly have created some great new initiatives that are helping students prepare and attend college. A group from our state association, The Pennsylvania Association for College Admission Counseling, talked with members of the Assembly yesterday about increasing funding for three major programs. The Project 720, Dual Enrollment, and State Grants, are three programs that are critical in the college preparation and success of Pennsylvanians. Project 720 funds dual enrollment programs that permit students to take college courses during their junior and senior years if they have exhausted their high school curriculums, some schools can’t afford to hirer new teachers to teach AP and honors level classes, this fund permits those districts to offer their students an equally rigorous high school schedule without having to hirer new teachers. Taking these college courses better prepares students for college, may reduce the financial burden of college by permitting them to graduate in less than four years, and makes them a more attractive applicant to the colleges and universities that they will be applying to. The funding of this project will also reduce guidance counselor loads from Pennsylvania’s present ration of 415:1. State Grants for college benefit thousands of college students. Eligible students receive up to $4,500 a year toward their education. These grants make college a reality for a lot of students. There is presently a shortfall in this program and we are hoping that the Governor and the Assembly find a way to fund the entire program so that students don’t lose their grants and have to leave school.

So why is funding for higher education important? I consider it an investment in the state’s future. Pennsylvanians that obtain a college degree will earn more, vote more, pay more taxes, and fill the need that Pennsylvania has for talented educated people. College educated individuals are less likely to be unemployed, receive public assistance, or become incarcerated. In a nutshell, college educated individuals contribute to the wealth and services of the state at a higher percentage and are less likely to take advantage of services that will need to be funded by the state. A $4,500 state grant is a much better investment in the future of Pennsylvania than the $26,000 is costs to incarcerate a criminal.

So I, PACAC, and all the people of Pennsylvania thank Senator Erickson, Senator Rhoads, Senator Armstrong, Senator O’Pake, Senator Mellow, and Senator Pileggi for taking time out of your day to meet with us yesterday. We hope that you are as excited about investing in the future of Pennsylvania as we are. To contact your senator or respresentative about issues, visit- http://www.legis.state.pa.us/