Student Aid Stretched

Aid for many Pennsylvania students may drop this year because of a tough financial market, according to the Association of Independent Colleges and Universities of Pennsylvania. The organization held a rally at the state Capitol today. President Don Francis says struggling financial markets combined with a drop in federal money have led to less funding for students. He says that may force some students to make difficult choices. Students from Waynesburg and Chatham universities were among those who attended today's rally. Governor Ed Rendell has proposed a three percent increase for the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency. Francis says PHEAA needs at least a 10 percent increase in order to maintain its current level of student grants.