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At the start of a busy day, which will include visits to Butler and Erie Counties, Auditor General Jack Wagner, Democratic candidate for Governor, spoke at the Crawford County Democratic Committee’s spring breakfast.
In addition to talking about government reform and jobs, Wagner promoted his HOPE Scholarship program to make higher education affordable for Pennsylvania students who attend Pennsylvania colleges and universities.
Higher education must remain at the forefront of issues due to its profound importance to students, families, and the state economy, Wagner said following the event.
“HOPE” is an acronym for Helping Our Pupils to Excel. Under Wagner’s program, students who graduate from high school with at least a 3.0 grade point average would have their tuition paid for at a state-owned university. Students choosing to attend a state-related institution, a private institution, a community college, or a vocational-technical school would receive a scholarship valued at the average cost of a state-owned university. The program would be funded by excess profits from table games at Pennsylvania casinos.