HB 780 — An Act amending the act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), known as the Public School Code of 1949, establishing the Early Childhood Educator Tuition Assistance Program and the Early Childhood Educator Tuition Assistance Fund.

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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