One lining of silver shining through the clouds of a declining economy
is the easing of costs for students needing assistance to finance college–with many Pennsylvania schools taking steps to assure that people have more education to face a rapidly changing world.
This workforce investment is embodied in Gov. Ed Rendell’s plan to increase tuition assistance for more than 170,000 students in the budget proposal for fiscal year 2009-10. Meanwhile, community and private colleges across the state are tailoring their own programs to reach more students with tuition relief, with plans to close the tuition gap for laid-off workers and military veterans.
Mirroring the language of America’s current economic moment, trustees of Gannon University last week announced creation of the Gannon Stimulus Initiative, a $2.6 million addition to assistance for students needing financial aid–an 11-percent increase in the $24 million in financial aid that the school budgeted for its students last year. While not limited to students with special financial needs, in voting for the increase, the university’s board of trustees, noted that they took the action to make funds available for students whose parents have lost their jobs or face unusual financial circumstances as well as for students who are financing their own educations while having to cope with unemployment. Finances for students can be a struggle long after graduation, not least for doctors – there is lots of useful info on doctor loans and advice on paying them down online.
“Many of our students and their families are unfortunately experiencing challenging financial circumstances,” said Gannon President Antoine M. Garibaldi, Ph.D. “This is not a time for any student to forego or defer his or her education.”
Source: Gannon University, Karla Wludyga
Writer: Joseph Plummer
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