Governor Visits Pennsbury Touting Proposed College Scholarship Program

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Gov. Tom Wolf made a stop at Pennsbury High School’s West Campus in Falls Township on Wednesday morning to gain feedback and answer questions about a proposed college scholarship program.

Wolf, a Democrat in his second term, proposed in his 2020 budget plan the $204 million Nellie Bly Scholarship Program that would offer help to students of low- and middle-class backgrounds.

In a statement and in his remarks at the high school, Wolf explained that the scholarship would help fill the gap for students whose Pell Grant and other grants to cover tuition and fees at the 14 Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE) universities run out. He said the gap can cause a problem for students and make completing a college degree harder.

Wolf told a group of gathered parents, students, and administrators that student debt can be a challenge for young adults.

The Institute for College Access and Success said graduates from Pennsylvania schools have an average debt of about $37,000, the second highest in the nation.

“The student debt crisis is a burden on young people and their families that can last for years,” Wolf said. “It holds young people back from finishing their degree, buying a car or a home, and saving for retirement.”

As part of the scholarship, students would have to enroll full-time in a PASSHE –  Bloomsburg, California, Cheyney, Clarion, East Stroudsburg, Edinboro, Indiana, Kutztown, Lock Haven, Mansfield, Millersville, Shippensburg, Slippery Rock and West Chester universities – undergraduate program and qualify for a federal subsidized student loan. Additionally, the students would have to commit to living in the Keystone State following graduation for the same number of years as they received the scholarship or they would have to pay back the money.

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The bill would help fight so-called “brain drain” of young adults who flee Pennsylvania to move elsewhere, the governor said, adding he wants young people to “grow here and stay here.”

Wolf said he believes the program, if full funded, can help 26,000 students each year.

Parent Stacey Rogers said her son, Malik Thomas, is preparing for college and weighing staying in state or going out of state.

One of her major concerns is whether Thomas will be weighed down with student debt, noting in-state institution is less expensive.

Thomas told the governor that a Nellie Bly Scholarship would be something that interests him.

“I’m always looking at different avenues. I saw, ‘How are we going to pay for this’?” parent Kenya Blackstone said.

Blackstone said she is still working to pay down her own student debt and didn’t want her daughter Raizel Stebbins to be burdened by debt.

“Every parent wants a better life for their children. This is that opportunity for thousands of students,” Wolf said.

The Nellie Bly Scholarship Program pulls its funding from the state’s Race Horse Development Trust Fund, which fills its coffers through revenue from slots gaming at casinos. The fund has drawn billions of dollars and helps fund the horse racing and breeding industry in the state, which employs more than 15,000 people and brings in $1.6 billion in revenue.

Representatives of the industry said the plan would hurt horse racing and breeding in the state.

Wolf told LevittownNow.com that his proposal would keep $50 million in the fund.

State representatives John Galloway, of Falls Township; Tina Davis, of Bristol Township; and Perry Warren, of Newtown Borough, were in attendance and in support of the governor’s proposal.

Galloway called the proposal a “holistic approach.”

The governor said he believed the proposal would gain support in Harrisburg.

Last week, the governor launched a tour of the state to promote the proposal. A spokesperson for Wolf said he plans to visit other schools and universities to gather feedback.

“The scholarship is named in honor of Nellie Bly, an Armstrong County native born in 1864. Bly attended the Indiana Normal School, now Indiana University of Pennsylvania, but left due to the cost. Bly became a pioneering journalist who helped to force reforms to the mental health care system in the early 20th century,” the governor’s office said.

Wolf was welcomed to Pennsbury by Superintendent Dr. William Gretzula and other administrators.

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