Harrisburg, PA - In an op-ed in Lancaster Online, Millersville University student and Pennsylvania Board of Education member Brenna Chernich praised Governor Josh Shapiro’s blueprint for higher education as a plan that will create opportunity for Pennsylvanians, build affordable pathways to a college education, and address critical workforce needs.
Governor Shapiro’s 2024-25 budget proposal invests $975 million in the community colleges and PASSHE universities that will comprise this new system, a 15 percent increase in the amount of funding those institutions received last year. In addition, the Governor’s plan calls for an investment to make higher education more affordable by ensuring students from families making up to the median income will pay no more than $1,000 in tuition and fees per semester at state-owned universities and community colleges. Furthermore, to help students attending state-related universities and independent colleges, Governor Shapiro’s plan will increase PHEAA grants for students from families making up to the median income by $1,000.
Read Brenna Chernich’s new op-ed in Lancaster Online:
Lancaster Online [OPINION]: Shapiro’s blueprint would help us pursue our dreams
By Brenna Chernich, 5/1/24
Questions about the future — what career to pursue and what training or education that entails, where to live, how to be an adult on our own for the first time — swarm our brains as soon as we enter high school.
One of those questions is “What do you want to do after high school?” It’s one that many young adults have a fairly good idea about. Many of us have had dreams of our future careers for as long as we can remember.
Unfortunately, the answer that we have been harboring for years is often clouded with doubt, uncertainty and even avoidance, because of the mounting costs of pursuing the postsecondary education that is often necessary to enter that chosen career.
Gov. Josh Shapiro is aware of our dreams.
As a current college student and student member of the Pennsylvania Board of Education, getting to see Shapiro’s dedication to students across the commonwealth has given me a renewed sense of hope that more of our dreams can become a reality.
The Shapiro administration’s “Blueprint for Higher Education” is a great start at addressing the reasons why so many in the state do not pursue their dreams.
I know that some may think dreams do not matter, or that there are jobs across the state that do not require college credentials. However, Pennsylvania is currently facing a workforce crisis. There are about 61,000 open jobs that require a college degree or credentials, according to Shapiro.
This gap will grow to more than 200,000 in the next 10 years if left unaddressed. Clearly, more college graduates are needed.
All of the jobs across the state are important — from cashiers to plumbers to teachers to lawyers. But with the skyrocketing cost of postsecondary education, we are increasing the likelihood that many of these jobs will be left unfilled.
I do not believe that asking our young adults to just pick a job that does not require a college degree is the solution. This does not fill the gaps that exist in the careers that do require a postsecondary degree.
Furthermore, passion and motivation would be overlooked. Somebody is going to have to fill the spot, and I would rather have a teacher or nurse who cares, rather than one who simply pursued a career because they could afford it.
I would rather have a server who is happy to serve me or a mechanic who is happy to fix my car than one who is solely there because they could not afford to pursue the job they dreamed about.
When we are in the job we have dreamed about, we have an intrinsic motivation to do well. We find joy and purpose in our work.
To base our careers merely on the affordability of education does a disservice to our workers and the communities they serve.
Shapiro’s “Blueprint for Higher Education” would make great strides toward preserving both dreams and the Pennsylvania workforce through investment in higher education.
He recognizes the high financial stress that postsecondary education can place on young adults, with the average college graduate having $40,000 in student loans. This is no small cost, especially considering that these individuals will likely have other hefty expenses that come with post-college life.
The fear of never escaping the debt that can come with college keeps many from even attempting it. In recognition of this, Shapiro is seeking a way to make postsecondary education more affordable across the state.
In uniting community colleges and state system schools under one governance structure, there will be more effective communication and a greater guarantee for a smooth transition for students who transfer from community colleges to state system schools — a path that is often taken to save money.
Additionally, students of families who make up to the median income would qualify for financial aid that caps their tuition for each semester at $1,000. I am certain this would provide a huge relief for many current and future students across the state, and this aid would allow thousands of individuals to pursue their dreams and, in doing so, close the gaps that exist in our current workforce.
I want to encourage my local state legislators to support Shapiro’s “Blueprint for Higher Education,” as it is a huge step in supporting our young adults and the entire state of Pennsylvania. Gov. Shapiro, thank you for seeing our needs and elevating our dreams.
Brenna Chernich is a 2021 graduate of Cedar Crest High School in Lebanon. She is a third-year student at Millersville University studying early childhood education, special education and integrative STEM education methods, and serves as a member and peer adviser of the university Honors College. In July 2023, Chernich was appointed by the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education as a junior student member of the state Board of Education.