PRINTER'S NO. 801
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE BILL
No. 780
Session of
2025
INTRODUCED BY SHUSTERMAN, HARKINS, CEPEDA-FREYTIZ, INGLIS,
PROBST, HILL-EVANS, CERRATO, HANBIDGE, BOROWSKI, PIELLI,
KHAN, SANCHEZ, DONAHUE, SCHLOSSBERG, D. WILLIAMS, CIRESI,
GREEN, DEASY, MAYES, HOHENSTEIN, KENYATTA, GIRAL, RIVERA,
MADDEN, GUENST AND ISAACSON, MARCH 3, 2025
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION, MARCH 3, 2025
AN ACT
1 Amending the act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), entitled "An
2 act relating to the public school system, including certain
3 provisions applicable as well to private and parochial
4 schools; amending, revising, consolidating and changing the
5 laws relating thereto," establishing the Early Childhood
6 Educator Tuition Assistance Program and the Early Childhood
7 Educator Tuition Assistance Fund.
8 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
9 hereby enacts as follows:
10 Section 1. The act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), known
11 as the Public School Code of 1949, is amended by adding an
12 article to read:
13 ARTICLE XIX-I
14 EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATOR TUITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM
15 Section 1901-I. Definitions.
16 The following words and phrases when used in this article
17 shall have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
18 context clearly indicates otherwise:
19 "Agency." The Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance
 1 Agency.
2 "Applicant." An individual enrolled or accepted for
3 enrollment at a community college in an early childhood program.
4 "Community college." A public college or technical institute
5 which is established and operated under Article XIX-A and all
6 branch campuses of a community college or technical institute.
7 "Cost of attendance." The cost for a student to attend a
8 community college, including tuition and fees, room and board,
9 books, supplies and other expenses, which is used to calculate
10 financial aid of an eligible student under 20 U.S.C. Ch. 28
11 Subch. IV (relating to student assistance).
12 "Fund." The Early Childhood Educator Tuition Assistance Fund
13 established under section 1903-I(a).
14 "Program." The Early Childhood Educator Tuition Assistance
15 Program established under section 1902-I(a).
16 Section 1902-I. Early Childhood Educator Tuition Assistance
17 Program.
18 (a) Establishment and purpose.--The Early Childhood Educator
19 Tuition Assistance Program is established within the agency to
20 provide grants in the form of tuition assistance to individuals
21 seeking an associate degree or certification in early childhood
22 education.
23 (b) Eligibility.--An applicant for a grant under the program
24 shall:
25 (1) Report a household income that is not more than 400%
26 of the Federal poverty level.
27 (2) Be enrolled or accepted to be enrolled in a minimum
28 of six credit hours per semester, or its equivalent, in a
29 credit-bearing or certification-granting early childhood
30 education program.
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 1 (3) Have completed and submitted applications for any
2 other Federal or State student financial aid program for
3 which the applicant may be eligible.
4 (4) Hold employment in an early childhood education
5 program approved by the agency for a minimum of 25 hours per
6 week.
7 (5) If reapplying for a grant under the program, submit
8 official transcripts demonstrating that the applicant:
9 (i) Meets standards for satisfactory academic
10 progress and maintains the required grade point average
11 established in 20 U.S.C. Ch. 28 Subch. IV (relating to
12 student assistance).
13 (ii) Is making reasonable progress to complete the
14 applicant's specific program of study.
15 (iii) Has not exceeded 150% of the required credits
16 for the relevant certificate or degree.
17 (6) Enter into a written agreement with the agency to
18 remain employed by an early childhood education program
19 located in this Commonwealth for not less than two years
20 following the completion of the last semester that the grant
21 was received.
22 (c) Awards.--Each grant under the program:
23 (1) Shall be in the amount equal to the cost of
24 attendance minus the sum of any Federal grants, State grants
25 or other scholarships or grants provided to the applicant.
26 (2) Shall be disbursed in two equal payments, the first
27 of which shall occur upon confirmation by the community
28 college of the applicant's enrollment and the second of which
29 shall occur at the end of the academic term for which the
30 student receives the grant.
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 1 (3) May not be granted in full if the applicant has
2 withdrawn from the program of study.
3 Section 1903-I. Early Childhood Educator Tuition Assistance
4 Fund.
5 (a) Establishment and purpose.--The Early Childhood Educator
6 Tuition Assistance Fund is established in the State Treasury to
7 make appropriations to the agency to carry out the provisions of
8 this article.
9 (b) Appropriations.--The fund shall consist of an annual
10 appropriation or transfer from the General Fund, as well as
11 money received from the Federal Government and any
12 appropriations by the General Assembly for the purposes of
13 funding the program.
14 (c) Requests.--The agency shall request funding for the
15 program in an amount equivalent to the obligations of the
16 program and shall not direct money from the fund for any other
17 purpose.
18 Section 1904-I. Reports.
19 (a) Publication and contents.--By September 1, 2025, and
20 each September 1 thereafter, the agency shall publish a report
21 that includes the following information regarding the operation
22 of the program for the immediately preceding fiscal year:
23 (1) Data on student enrollment, student retention rates
24 between academic terms and years and student wages,
25 including:
26 (i) Median wages prior to enrollment and one year
27 after completion of a credential or degree.
28 (ii) Wage rates of students who have not enrolled in
29 over a year and did not complete a credential or degree.
30 (2) A comparison of job demand in early childhood
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 1 education fields and the rates of completion of a credential
2 or degree.
3 (b) Submittal.--Each report under subsection (a) shall be
4 submitted to:
5 (1) The Governor.
6 (2) The chairperson and minority chairperson of the
7 Appropriations Committee of the Senate.
8 (3) The chairperson and minority chairperson of the
9 Appropriations Committee of the House of Representatives.
10 (4) The chairperson and minority chairperson of the
11 Education Committee of the Senate.
12 (5) The chairperson and minority chairperson of the
13 Education Committee of the House of Representatives.
14 Section 1905-I. Regulations and procedures.
15 The agency shall promulgate regulations and adopt procedures
16 necessary to carry out the purposes of this article.
17 Section 2. This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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Statutes/Laws affected:
Printer's No. 0801: P.L.30, No.14