PHEAA's WAGE Program Gives Financial Aid to Adult Learners

[NRSKarenRN, BSN, RN]

Press release from Philly area state rep:

PHEAA's WAGE Program Gives Financial Aid to Adult Learners, Says Gannon

Rep. Tom Gannon (R-Delaware) announced today that a newly established Workforce Advancement Grant for Education (WAGE) program from the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA) will provide student aid assistance to adults who seek to further their education.

Adult learners in Pennsylvania's 67 counties will have access to $50 million in grant money-$10 million annually over the next five years. The funds will be provided from PHEAA's business earnings and will be offered at no cost to taxpayers.

Studies have found that the fastest-growing demographic among college students is adult learners. However, most student aid programs are geared towards their younger counterparts and are not available to older adults. Currently, financial assistance is available primarily to students who are recent high school graduates going on to postsecondary education.

WAGE was instituted as part of American Education Services (AES) and PHEAA's commitment to providing more than $100 million in public service benefits to state residents this year, totaling $1 billion by 2009. The program will allow adults in the Commonwealth to further their education so that they may be successful in the job market. It will help Pennsylvania have a more highly trained and competitive workforce.

The funds will assist postsecondary institutions across the state in providing adult learners with the necessary resources to pursue careers across selected academic disciplines. WAGE funds must be used by institutions for enrollment, retention, completion of certificates or degrees, or to eliminate affordability barriers for adult students.

To find out more information on the WAGE program, call 1-800-692-7392.

[adamsmom]

Nursing is not a listed field.