Laurel: To a regional reality. The University of Pittsburgh is making a significant investment in students at its regional campuses.
Beginning this fall, Pitt will cover tuition at its Greensburg, Bradford, Johnstown and Titusville campuses for students whose families make $75,000 or less annually. The move is designed to make higher education more accessible while strengthening campuses that play an important role in workforce development across Pennsylvania.
That’s more than double the income for federal poverty, which is $33,000 for a family of four. It is, however, just under the median household income for Pennsylvania ($77, 971), according to the U.S. Census Bureau. That shows an understanding that sometimes it can be the people in the middle who feel the most pinch with the last help.
It also reflects regional campuses can sometimes feel like an afterthought in higher education conversations.
They shouldn’t. These alternatives provide opportunities for students who stay close to home for work or family obligations. They put a degree in reach of people who may not otherwise see it as financially or logistically possible.
The program will not erase every expense associated with college, but it lowers a major barrier at a time when many families question whether higher education is attainable at all.
Lance: To more of the same. Representatives of the Galleria at Pittsburgh Mills were once again in court this week, facing the consequences of allowing conditions at the Frazer property to continue deteriorating.
A district judge imposed another nearly $1.5 million in fines tied to continued code violations at the mall property. Testimony described potholes, crumbling pavement, exposed rebar and conditions serious enough to raise concerns about emergency vehicle access.
This new number may seem like a traffic ticket compared to the $17.6 million in fines already entered against Namdar Realty Group and its subsidiaries for the condition of the property.
This has ceased to be about cosmetic appearance or routine maintenance disputes. It is about public safety and to keep a functionality for the community.
The Pittsburgh Mills mall has struggled for years, but economic decline is not an excuse for neglect. Communities are left dealing with the consequences when large commercial properties are allowed to decay while legal appeals drag on.