Free state and community college tuition
The Bottom Line
As a recent college student, I know first hand what it means to live under the crushing pressure of student loan debt. I strongly support State Senator Vincent Hughes’s Pennsylvania Promise plan. This plan would fund two years of community college or four years at a state-owned university for families making less than $110,000 and provide grants for state-related universities like Pitt and Penn State.
Why is this issue important to Jay?
Like many residents of District 23, the cost of college has had a lasting impact on my life. As a first-generation college student, I had to navigate a system without strong support from my family and ended up going to a private college and racking up a large amount of student loan debt. This has been crippling as an adult; I can’t buy a car, I can’t buy a house. All of this debt makes it hard for me to make other financial decisions. And while the freeze on tuition costs in light of the COVID pandemic helps, Pennsylvania public universities are the third costliest in the nation. Families continue to have to deal with these increases in tuition. This doesn’t just impact me, it also impacts my mother who took out loans to help me get through college. With rising inequality, it becomes more and more difficult for Pennsylvania families to attend post-secondary institutions without falling into more and more debt.
Why is this issue important in District 23?
We have three colleges in the district. While Carnegie Mellon and Chatham would not directly be impacted by this bill, the Pennsylvania Promise plan provides four years of grants from 2,000 dollars up to 11,000 dollars for students accepted into a state-related university, which includes Pitt. Furthermore, having more affordable state schools applies pressure on the price of private schools. Families in our district should have access to high-quality education; affordable public universities are necessary for equitable access. And of course more affordable education directly impacts the economic health of our community through both large macroeconomic shifts, such as a more skilled workforce, to smaller adjustments, such as students having more spending money to support local businesses.
What is the incumbent doing?
While the incumbent is a co-sponsor of the bill, this issue doesn’t impact him in the same way it impacts our generation. When Frankel went to university, back in 1978, the average cost of tuition, room, and board was only $4,514.The average annual fees and charges for a student attending Kenyon college (Frankel’s alma mater) in 2020 is approximately $73,930. Our generation understands how student loan debt cripples our ability to buy a house, stymies decisions to enter graduate school, and adds uncertainty to our future. We also know how student loan debt reinforces existing class and racial inequities. We need a representative who understands our lived experience and will fight to ensure future generations do not face crippling student loan debt.
Jay’s plan
I will support the PA Promise. This plan provides two years of tuition and fees for any high school graduate enrolled full-time in one of Pennsylvania's fourteen community colleges and covers four years of tuition for any family with an income of less than 110,000 to attend one of the fourteen state universities. The PA promise will also provide mean-tested grants to students attending Pitt. We need more champions of this bill. I will be that champion.