Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania piles on benefits to state employees, including education costs – Tri-State Alert
13 March 2024- The Shapiro Administration has added and enhanced benefits to make higher education more affordable for Commonwealth employees and their families.
The Office of Administration and York College of Pennsylvania have collaborated to offer a tuition discount to employees in participating Commonwealth agencies. The discount of up to 15 percent is available for the college’s graduate and professional programs.
Additionally, the Office of Administration and the PASSHE Foundation recently increased state system university scholarships for Commonwealth employees and their dependents to $3,000 for full-time and $1,500 for part-time students each academic year.
“Commonwealth employees have access to a wide array of training and development opportunities to help them gain updated skills and keep pace with advances in their career field,” said Secretary of Administration Neil Weaver. “Programs that help to defray the costs of college are another way that we can encourage employees to invest in themselves through lifelong learning. We appreciate the collaboration with Pennsylvania’s public and private higher education institutions to offer these exceptional growth opportunities to our workforce.”
The Commonwealth currently offers the following higher education benefits:
Scholarships
- Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE) Scholarship Program provides scholarship opportunities to eligible Commonwealth employees and their dependents to attend a state system university. The program was recently updated to increase the scholarships up to $3,000 for full-time and $1,500 for part-time students each academic year. Previously, the scholarships were up to $2,000 for full-time and $1,000 for part-time students.
Tuition Assistance
- York College of Pennsylvania offers a 15 percent discount on tuition for graduate and professional programs to eligible Commonwealth employees.
- Pennsylvania Western University (PennWest) Global Online offers a 20 percent discount on tuition for their online undergraduate, master’s and certificate degree programs to eligible Commonwealth employees.
- Discounted tuition rates available from Arizona Global Campus, Capella University, Chamberlain University, Devry University, Kean University, Penn Foster, Strayer University, and Walden University.
Student Loans
- The Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA) offers an interest rate discount of 0.25% for Commonwealth employees who are a borrower or co-signer on new PA Forward loans.
- Commonwealth employees may qualify for loan forgiveness through the federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness program, or PSLF
Last month, the Office of Administration announced an increase in paid parental leave benefits from six to eight weeks, as well as new work/life benefits to aid in caring for loved ones and connecting to resources for a variety of daily needs. The Commonwealth also offers competitive pay, work-life balance, diverse and inclusive workplaces, and opportunities for advancement.
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(WHTM) — Legislation is in the works for a statewide warning system to locate missing children with autism.
State Rep. Robert Leadbeter (R-Columbia County) announced the formal introduction of a bill to create a “Purple Alert” system. It would quickly notify police and community members when a child with autism, or other cognitive issues, is missing.
His bill is called “Aiden’s Law,” named for a young boy in Columbia County, who disappeared earlier this year and drowned in the Susquehanna River. Leadbeter said a “Purple Alert” system would fill a gap in Pennsylvania.
“So, individuals with cognitive disabilities are able to then, if they go missing, have an alert go out to law enforcement organizations that work directly with them and that’ll save time expand resources, and ideally result in a safe return home for the missing individual,” Leadbeter said.
In this bill, the system would mirror others like Amber Alerts for missing children in danger and Silver Alerts for missing seniors.
A Bethlehem man is among the first to be sentenced under a Pennsylvania law passed last year, making it a crime to possess AI-generated child sex abuse material.
On Monday, Lehigh County Court of Common Pleas Judge Kristie M. Marks sentenced 35-year-old Adam Erdman to two years, four months to 10 years.
Erdman in September pleaded guilty to felony possessing child sex abuse material. He faced a possible sentence of 5 to 10 years in prison.
Lehigh County District Attorney Gavin Holihan announced the sentencing in a news conference Monday afternoon. The DA credited U.S. Rep. Ryan Mackenzie, who introduced the new legislation and state Sen. Tracy Pennycuick, who championed the final version of the law last year.
“Before this law was passed, the use of AI to generate child sexual abuse materials went unpunished,” Holihan said. “Prosecutors like me need legislation like this to arrest and convict the criminals who use evolving technology to victimize others.”
Macungie-based attorney Michael Ira Stump, representing Erdman, couldn’t immediately be reached for comment Tuesday morning.
Bethlehem police on March 31 were called by Erdman’s estranged wife, who reported finding three AI-generated nude images of juvenile girls on his personal computer.
Prosecutors said Erdman downloaded photos of the children on vacation from their parent’s social media account, and then used artificial intelligence photo-editing software to make the children appear naked.
Erdman was charged on April 17.
The case was investigated by Bethlehem Police Det. Stephen Ewald and was prosecuted by Lehigh County Senior Deputy District Attorney Sarah K. Heimbach.
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