I am introducing legislation to strengthen transparency and accountability within the Commonwealth’s Institutional Assistance Grants (IAG) program administered by PHEAA.
The Institutional Assistance Grants program is a $26.5 million annual line-item appropriation distributed to qualifying AICUP institutions based on their share of Pennsylvania State Grant recipients.
As stewards of public funds, we have a responsibility to ensure that appropriations are used transparently and in accordance with legislative intent.
My legislation modernizes and clarifies the accountability framework for Institutional Assistance Grants by:

• Requiring that assistance grants supplement each Pennsylvania State Grant recipient’s award and be clearly reflected on the student’s tuition bill as an “Institutional Assistance Grant provided by the Commonwealth.”
• Authorizing PHEAA to audit the records of eligible institutions receiving assistance grants to ensure compliance with statute.
• Requiring PHEAA to publish an annual report on its publicly accessible website detailing the distribution and use of Institutional Assistance Grant funds, along with any additional information necessary for program oversight.

This bill removes outdated statutory language and replaces it with a clearer, centralized oversight and reporting structure to ensure transparency and consistency.
Strengthening oversight ensures the program operates in alignment with legislative intent while continuing to support student affordability.
I respectfully ask you to join me as a co-sponsor of this important transparency and accountability measure.