Jack continues to travel the Commonwealth promoting his HOPE Scholarship program to make higher education affordable for Pennsylvania students who attend Pennsylvania colleges and universities. Speaking to students at Penn State University in January, Jack said:

Penn State University is the premier economic engine in central Pennsylvania. Centre County’s unemployment rate continues to remain the lowest in the Commonwealth and is nearly three percent lower than the statewide rate. Higher education must remain at the forefront of issues due to its profound importance to students, families, and the state economy.

“HOPE” stands for “Helping Our Pupils to Excel.” This program would pay higher education costs for Pennsylvania students who chose to attend a Pennsylvania school. If the student chose to attend a state-owned university, the program would pay his or her entire tuition. If the student chose to attend a state-related school, community college, or private institution, the program would pay a portion of his or her tuition based on the average cost at the state-owned universities. A qualifying student would be required to maintain a 3.0 grade point average to continue to receive the scholarship.