#pheaa

Jim Parsons Accepting the 2007 Peabody Award for “Fight for Open Records”

In July 2005, Jim Parsons, a reporter with WTAE in Pittsburgh, requested financial records from the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Association (PHEAA), the agency that provides loans and grants to Pennsylvania students. Parsons cited Pennsylvania’s Right to Know Law, a statute central to oversight of public agencies. The opened records revealed a mismanaged agency in which high level administrators and state legislators used funds for luxurious junkets in the name of “doing business.” When all the news reports—more than twenty—were completed, PHEAA was the subject of major administrative changes. The top executive was forced to resign, calls for massive changes were in place and a bill to strengthen the Right to Know Law was in process.

Twenty Alvernia University students met with Harrisburg lawmakers April 4, to lobby for legislative support of private institutions in higher education, as part of the Association of Independent Colleges and Universites of Pennsylvania (AICUP) Student Aid Advocacy Day. The students were accompanied by Dr. Josh Hayes, assistant professor of philosophy, and David Myers, director of Alvernia's O'Pake Institute for Ethics, Leadership and Public Service.

This year's advocacy day primarily focused on opposing a 50% proposed cut in institutional assistance grants, maintaining funding of PHEAA grant programs and growing the Ready to Succeed Scholarship program so that more middle-income students can benefit from the financial help it provides.

In addition to meeting with hometown representatives, Alvernia students met with Tom Caltagirone, Judy Schwank's chief of staff, and Will Donowski - Governor Wolf's Legislative Secretary.

09-25-2015

I’m really happy it is Friday, my last day of work this week and then I have the weekend off. We’ve been really busy at work, which I don’t necessarily mind; however, it’s almost been too much. 

They’ve asked for people to voluntarily work 12-9, which is the shift I work, because it is so busy and we have four people taking calls (on a good night, usually it is only three). I don’t mind when it’s really busy because it makes time move faster. But it’s getting to a point where I almost can’t get time to take a break. Anyways, very happy it’s Friday.

…to make up for the 8 hours I missed when I was sick?