Trending...
- Heritage at South Brunswick Introduces New Ferndale Floorplan: The Largest Single-Family Home Design in the Community - 174
- Mumbai Central Farmers Market Launches Community Collective for More Value and Connection
- ASSIST Software Becomes One of the First European Companies Certified to ISO/IEC 42001
Governor Tom Wolf visited Lock Haven University today to launch a tour of the 14 state-owned universities and discuss his proposal to help thousands of low- and middle-class students afford their dream of a college education.
The governor is proposing the Nellie Bly Scholarship Program, a historic $204 million need-based scholarship that will close the gap after a student's Pell Grant and other state grants to enroll in a Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE) university.
"The Nellie Bly Scholarship Program fills the gap after other aid programs so thousands of students can afford a college degree without crushing debt," said Governor Wolf. "This scholarship would help students get a college degree and spend less time paying off student loans and more time building a career in Pennsylvania."
The Nellie Bly Scholarship is a last-dollar-in program. To be eligible, students must enroll full-time in a PASSHE undergraduate program and qualify for a federal subsidized student loan. Students must commit to live in Pennsylvania after graduation for the same number of years they received the scholarship. If a student leaves the state early, they must repay the money. The program will be funded by repurposing revenues from the Horse Racing Development Fund annually.
More on The PennZone
"This is an investment in the future of our students and incentivizes them to stay in Pennsylvania after graduation," said Governor Wolf. "With less college debt, graduates can buy a car and a home, start a family and save for retirement. The program also strengthens our public university system and creates a talented labor force that Pennsylvania needs to thrive."
"The strength of Pennsylvania's economy and the vibrancy of its communities depend so much on students who graduate with career-oriented, affordable degrees," said PASSHE Chancellor Daniel Greenstein. "This program represents Gov. Tom Wolf's commitment to our students and to maintaining public higher education as the engine of social mobility and economic development that it's meant to be."
"Access to a degree leads to life changing opportunities for our students that positions them for work in an ever-evolving economy, moves them into the middle class and beyond and builds stronger communities. But for too many of them the cost is beyond their reach," said Lock Haven University President Robert M. Pignatello. "Governor Wolf's Nellie Bly Scholarship Program recognizes this and makes a valuable investment in them and the future economic vitality of the commonwealth."
More on The PennZone
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.
Nearly a century later, higher education remains too expensive for many low-income and middle-class families. The student loan debt for Pennsylvania residents is $68 billion, among the highest in the nation, averaging over $37,000 per student.
In addition to the $204 million for the Nellie Bly Scholarship Program, the governor's budget invests in higher education with $12.9 million to support PASSHE's system redesign and a $60 million increase for the Pennsylvania State Grant Program, which serves more than 130,000 students and will increase the maximum award to $4,700.
The Pennsylvania's State System of Higher Education is the largest provider of higher education in the commonwealth with 95,000 students. In addition to Lock Haven University, the system includes Bloomsburg, California, Cheyney, Clarion, East Stroudsburg, Edinboro, Indiana, Kutztown, Mansfield, Millersville, Shippensburg, Slippery Rock, and West Chester.
SHARE Email Facebook Twitter
The governor is proposing the Nellie Bly Scholarship Program, a historic $204 million need-based scholarship that will close the gap after a student's Pell Grant and other state grants to enroll in a Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE) university.
"The Nellie Bly Scholarship Program fills the gap after other aid programs so thousands of students can afford a college degree without crushing debt," said Governor Wolf. "This scholarship would help students get a college degree and spend less time paying off student loans and more time building a career in Pennsylvania."
The Nellie Bly Scholarship is a last-dollar-in program. To be eligible, students must enroll full-time in a PASSHE undergraduate program and qualify for a federal subsidized student loan. Students must commit to live in Pennsylvania after graduation for the same number of years they received the scholarship. If a student leaves the state early, they must repay the money. The program will be funded by repurposing revenues from the Horse Racing Development Fund annually.
More on The PennZone
- Philly Tailgates Announces Full 2026 Eagles Season Schedule, Opening With Back-to-back Events
- The Golden Jazz Fest Shuttle Returns for 2026
- KeysCaribbean Resorts Offer Savings On Vacations Through Aug. 31, Preview Exceptional Select Fall Rates of Less Than $200/Night
- Fit Body Boot Camp Launches Nationwide 'Fit Body Forever' Workshops to Help Adults 60+ Rebuild Strength and Prevent Falls
- Canadian Aerospace Defence Talent Expo (CADTE) Launches National TalentThread Initiative to Strengthen Canada's Future Workforce
"This is an investment in the future of our students and incentivizes them to stay in Pennsylvania after graduation," said Governor Wolf. "With less college debt, graduates can buy a car and a home, start a family and save for retirement. The program also strengthens our public university system and creates a talented labor force that Pennsylvania needs to thrive."
"The strength of Pennsylvania's economy and the vibrancy of its communities depend so much on students who graduate with career-oriented, affordable degrees," said PASSHE Chancellor Daniel Greenstein. "This program represents Gov. Tom Wolf's commitment to our students and to maintaining public higher education as the engine of social mobility and economic development that it's meant to be."
"Access to a degree leads to life changing opportunities for our students that positions them for work in an ever-evolving economy, moves them into the middle class and beyond and builds stronger communities. But for too many of them the cost is beyond their reach," said Lock Haven University President Robert M. Pignatello. "Governor Wolf's Nellie Bly Scholarship Program recognizes this and makes a valuable investment in them and the future economic vitality of the commonwealth."
More on The PennZone
- 5.6 Million EUR in Q1 Project Awards for Integrated IoT Solutions / Data Analytics Subsidiary of Smart City Developer: Affluence (Stock Symbol: AFFU)
- Merger Advancement For Embodied AI Co in Robotic Systems Serving High Value Hospitality, Gaming & Real Estate Sectors: MBody AI Corp. (NAS DAQ: MBAI)
- Hollywood In Pixels Announces Honorees for The 9th Silver PIXel Awards
- New Research Finds a Good Deal Is All It Takes to Get Americans Booking a Last-Minute Vacation — and Most Already Have One on Their Mind
- GitKraken Introduces GitLens 19, Bringing Human and AI Workflows Together in One Workbench
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.
Nearly a century later, higher education remains too expensive for many low-income and middle-class families. The student loan debt for Pennsylvania residents is $68 billion, among the highest in the nation, averaging over $37,000 per student.
In addition to the $204 million for the Nellie Bly Scholarship Program, the governor's budget invests in higher education with $12.9 million to support PASSHE's system redesign and a $60 million increase for the Pennsylvania State Grant Program, which serves more than 130,000 students and will increase the maximum award to $4,700.
The Pennsylvania's State System of Higher Education is the largest provider of higher education in the commonwealth with 95,000 students. In addition to Lock Haven University, the system includes Bloomsburg, California, Cheyney, Clarion, East Stroudsburg, Edinboro, Indiana, Kutztown, Mansfield, Millersville, Shippensburg, Slippery Rock, and West Chester.
SHARE Email Facebook Twitter
0 Comments
Latest on The PennZone
- Stop Bleeding Cash on Mediocre Talent. Build a Powerhouse Remote Team Instead
- Crownlight Strategies® Announces Federal Trademark Registration
- New Book Calls 'Sense of Belonging' the Missing Link in Student Success
- Igbozue Connecticut USA Celebrates 2026 Summer Family Picnic
- KT Medical Staffing Addresses the Questions Families Forget to Ask Before Bringing Private Nursing Care Home
- Private Autopsies Give Arizona Families Answers After Nursing Home and Care Facility Deaths
- Chuckie F. Mahoney Memorial Foundation Awards Nearly $40,000 in School Grants
- OPUS Global Data Solutions Launches Food Trader Plus, Bringing Operational Control and Deal-Level Profit Visibility to Food Brokers
- Phinge CEO DeMaio Unveils Speech to Congress: User Data Sovereignty vs Tech Surveillance Capitalism, Asserting Foundational 2021 App-Less Patents & IP
- Michael Maertens Hired as Century Fasteners Corp. – Chief Financial Officer
- LATO AI Software Innovations Expedite Inspections & Repair of Parking Lots for The Pavement Group
- Built to Last: Why BSI Is Among the Nation's Fastest-Growing Companies, and One of Its Best Places to Work
- Bent Danholm's The Architecture of Demand Reaches No. 2 in Amazon Real Estate Sales
- Contracting Resources Group Named to Inc. 5000 for the Ninth Time
- Nola Blue Records to Release John Németh's Illinois Central in March 2027
- ImagineX Named to 2026 Inc. 5000 List of America's Fastest-Growing Private Companies
- ASSIST Software Becomes One of the First European Companies Certified to ISO/IEC 42001
- The World's No.1 Superstar® Enters the Occult with New Track and Cinematic Visual "Under Your Spell"
- PricZone Launches Online Shopping Platform Offering Electronics, Gaming, and More
- Heritage at South Brunswick Introduces New Ferndale Floorplan: The Largest Single-Family Home Design in the Community