REACH Scholarship

ACTION ALERT: PAYD President Tony Payton Jr has introduced a brilliant piece of legislation in the State House. Here's a letter he sent out to Democrats and Republicans alike.

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My Fellow Pennsylvanians:

Over the next few months, the Pennsylvania House of Representatives will be debating the Reliable Education for College Hopefuls (REACH) Scholarship Initiative. The REACH Scholarship is legislation I wrote that will provide a full scholarship, covering tuition and fees, to all high school students, regardless of their economic background, gender, race and/or religious affiliation. Every public, private and parochial school student who meets the base criteria would be eligible for the REACH Scholarship. In essence, for a student to be eligible for REACH, they must maintain a 3.0 GPA and have an attendance over 90%. Ultimately, if this legislation passes, every parent will be able to tell their child, “If you show up to school everyday and work hard you will have the opportunity to go to college.”

The REACH Scholarship, however, is not a “give away” program. It is an investment in the state’s future. Pennsylvania currently has one of the most expensive state school systems in the country. The cost of tuition is increasing far quicker than the rate of inflation. In a 10 year period between 1987 and 1997, Pennsylvania college tuitions increased by 132%. High costs in college tuition have resulted in the troubling phenomenon commonly referred to as the “brain drain”; where college bound students seek higher education outside of the commonwealth. Many of these students graduate and are employed outside of the state as well, resulting in the loss of a young tax base and intellectual capital. Unless the “brain drain” issue is addressed, Pennsylvanians will be met with a daunting burden as taxpayers, similar to the projected social security crisis the nation as a whole will face. This is due to the fact that Pennsylvania has the fastest growing elderly population in the United States and a declining growth in population among 18-44 year olds. Accordingly, Pennsylvanians will have to face significant tax hikes to support our elderly population, unless we reverse this demographic trend. By giving Pennsylvania’s best and brightest an incentive to stay within the commonwealth both during and after college, the REACH scholarship will create a stronger tax base of young professionals, which will encourage economic growth and combat the population crisis that threatens the state’s financial future.

The REACH scholarship is not a “pie in the sky” idea. Georgia enacted a similar initiative, the HOPE scholarship, in 1993. Since then, they have sent over 700,000 Georgians to college. The HOPE has had a profound affect on Georgia’s economy as well. Georgia’s employment has grown by 27% since HOPE’s inception, which is twice that of the national average. Also, Georgia’s population living in poverty fell by 23% during this tenure. Needless to say, the HOPE scholarship has been and continues to be a key factor in Georgia’s economic success in the last 15 years. I am confident that the REACH scholarship would have similar results on Pennsylvania’s economy and educational system, seeing as the initiative is based off the HOPE scholarship.

I have worked diligently on this legislation with the leaders of Pennsylvania from both parties, including Speaker of the House Dennis O’Brien (R) and House Education Committee Chairman James Roebuck (D). I believe this bipartisan endeavor will provide an opportunity to strengthen Pennsylvania’s economy and change the culture of education in the commonwealth. My hope is that you would join me in this effort. If you have any questions or would like to express your support for the REACH scholarship, please contact my office at 215-744-7901.

-Representative Tony Payton, Jr.

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In favor of REACH? Sign our petition by clicking here.