Senator Fontana Announces Higher Education Grants

Pittsburgh - April 2, 2026 - Today, Senator Wayne Fontana announced that the Community College of Allegheny County and Point Park University were each awarded $150,000 from the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) for scholarships and programing for students with children.

"There are many students who must balance their studies with raising their kids," said Sen. Fontana. "This grant funding helps those students who are working to further their education, and I am proud to advocate for this support."

Under PDE's Parent Pathways Grant Program, institutions of higher learning can use this competitive funding to:

• Expand parent programming, resources, and supports or to implement parent programming, resources, and supports. Funding can be used, but is not limited to, wrap-around services for students, expansion of childcare facilities, staffing salary support for parent navigators, transportation supports, and other expansion of work already being accomplished on campus.
• Fund scholarships covering tuition, fees, housing, meals, books, childcare, etc.
• Provide stipends/emergency funding up to a maximum amount as determined by the institution.

In total, PDE awarded over $1.67 million to 11 colleges and universities across the commonwealth this week. You can see the awards and learn more about Parent Pathways Grant Program here.

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