PASSHE Launches ‘PASSHE Pledge’ to Eliminate Tuition Gap for Low-Income Students

The Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education announced that starting in fall 2027, it will cover whatever tuition remains after eligible in-state students apply their federal Pell Grant and Pennsylvania State Grant through a new initiative called the PASSHE Pledge. The last-dollar scholarship initiative, which will be supported at least in part by external donors, is intended to promote college affordability and reinforce that education is central to workforce development, though students will still be responsible for books, room and board, and other non-tuition costs. PASSHE Board of Governors Chair Cynthia Shapira framed it as a major step toward helping more students earn degrees and launch careers without a tuition gap standing in their way, while Chancellor Christopher Fiorentino emphasized the initiative’s role in strengthening Pennsylvania’s workforce. Inside Higher Ed reports that the move is part of a broader national trend of institutions trying to rebuild trust in the value of a college degree, though PASSHE’s approach differs from many private colleges that have made similar pledges tied to household income thresholds rather than state and federal aid eligibility,  such as Davidson College, which recently went tuition-free for families earning up to $175,000.