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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
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State
Rep. Tony Payton |
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Payton: College education should not be a REACH
Philadelphia City Council approves scholarship initiative; Harrisburg should, too
PHILADELPHIA, Nov. 15 – State Rep. Tony Payton, D-Phila., is calling on members of the House of Representatives to take action on his legislation that would provide all Pennsylvania students who have demonstrated academic excellence the opportunity to attend college. The appeal comes after Philadelphia City Council Majority Leader Jannie Blackwell passed a resolution this week urging the legislature to pass the bill.
“We need to give children who come from lower- to middle-income families hope that they too can go to college if they work hard,” Payton said. “Philadelphia City Council gets it; Harrisburg should, too. This proposal would give kids an outlet for their talents, instead of letting them languish at the end of their high school career.
“Everyone wins in this scenario. Students have an opportunity to continue their education and Pennsylvania gets bright, educated employees in its workforce, creating a stronger tax base.”
Payton’s legislation would create Reliable Educational Assistance for College Hopefuls, referred to as REACH, a statewide, merit-based scholarship program for all students in Pennsylvania who maintain at least a 3.0 grade-point average and a 90 percent attendance record. The program would ensure those students would receive a scholarship covering all tuition and fees to any university in the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education.
Payton said the REACH scholarship would not be a “giveaway” program, but rather an investment in the state’s future. Pennsylvania currently has one of the most expensive state university systems in the United States. He said that has resulted in the troublesome phenomenon commonly referred to as “brain drain,” where students seek higher education and, eventually, employment outside of the Commonwealth.
The scholarship would be available to all qualified high school students,
regardless of economic background, gender, race and/or religious affiliation.
Every public, private and parochial school student who meets the base criteria
would be eligible for a scholarship.
Payton’s proposal (H.B. 1722) is currently before the House Education Committee.
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CONTACT: Ann Collis |