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Wilkes-Barre resident Angela Patla gets lucky on ‘Best Night Ever with Neil Patrick Harris’ and wins big

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<p>WILKES-BARRE &#8212; Anthony Fanucci stood at the podium in the Wilkes University Henry Student Center and he wondered where he would be if he hadn&#8217;t received funding through the Federal Perkins Loan program.</p><p>&#8220;I probably wouldn&#8217;t be standing at this podium today,&#8221; Fanucci, 22 of Moscow, said. &#8220;For me and many other students, the Perkins Loan program isn&#8217;t just a game changer &#8212; it&#8217;s been a life changer.&#8221;</p><p>Fanucci, a pharmacy student and president of the Wilkes Student Government, won&#8217;t be affected by the recent expiration of the Perkins Loan program, but he joined Wilkes&#8217; President Patrick Leahy and U.S. Sen. Bob Casey Friday to talk about the program and what it has meant to college students, especially those who come from low- and moderate-income families.</p><p>More than 1,800 area students, including about 300 at Wilkes University, are currently in limbo trying to figure out how to pay for their next semester. Casey, D-Scranton, is calling for Congress to extend immediately the Federal Perkins Loan Expiration, which lapsed on Sept. 30, leaving nearly 40,000 Pennsylvania students wondering how they will pay for their education.</p><p>Federal Perkins Loans are used by low- and moderate-income students with exceptional need and account for $1.2 billion tuition dollars, Casey said during his stop at Wilkes. He said nearly one quarter of all Perkins recipients are from families who earn less than $30,000 a year.</p><p>&#8220;This continued irresponsible inaction by Congress could lead to countless students withdrawing from colleges and universities nationwide come enrollment period,&#8221; Casey said.</p><p>Fanucci said his father has worked countless overtime hours to earn enough money to help pay tuition.</p><p>&#8220;Without financial help, like the Perkins program, many of us would not be able to attend college,&#8221; Fanucci said. &#8220;I&#8217;m not here seeking pity. I&#8217;m here to advocate for all students who may lose their dream of graduating from college.&#8221;</p><p>Casey said the program helps students who are in great need of financial assistance. He said he is hopeful that the Senate will debate and discuss the program, perhaps changing some of the components, and extending it.</p><p>&#8220;There is no reason any student shouldn&#8217;t be able to go to college because Congress can&#8217;t get its act together,&#8221; Casey said.</p><p>Casey said U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tennessee, objected to a floor vote last week. Casey said Alexander chairs the Senate Health Education Labor and Pensions Committee. Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wisconsin, asked unanimous consent for the House one-year extension bill to be taken up and passed. Alexander objected because he wants to change the system to &#8220;1 grant, 1 loan&#8221; and claimed a Higher Education Act re-authorization was forthcoming.</p><p>Leahy said if students lose the help of the Perkins Loan program, many could leave school. He said some 50 percent of today&#8217;s students are the first in their families to seek a college degree.</p><p>&#8220;Our job is to do what we can to make college affordable,&#8221; Leahy said.</p><p>Leahy said 40 percent of students receive Pell grants. He said the Perkins Loan recipients are &#8220;the neediest of students.&#8221; He said even with significant funding sources, gaps still remain.</p><p>&#8220;But if students lose their aid, they risk dropping out,&#8221; Leahy said. &#8220;And the consequences are significant for them and for our country.&#8221;</p><p>According to information supplied by Casey&#8217;s office, now that the authorization has expired, no new students can receive Perkins Loans. While students currently receiving a loan are &#8220;grandfathered in&#8221; for another five years past the expiration, there is uncertainty over how that will be implemented.</p><p>Most important, Casey said students who currently receive a Perkins Loan would not be grandfathered if they change majors, alter their courses of study, or if they transfer schools. Additionally, the grandfather cut-off date was June 30, 2015, so current freshman who may have had their loans dispersed after that date will lose out for the remainder of their schooling.</p><p>Last year, nearly 40,000 students at more than 100 institutions in the Pennsylvania received a Perkins loan totaling nearly $70 million in federal aid to needy students. Perkins Loans are low-interest (5 percent fixed rate) federal loans for undergraduate and graduate students with exceptional financial need.</p><p>Approximately 1,500 colleges and universities currently disburse about $1.2 billion in Perkins Loans to more than 500,000 students nationwide.</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">U.S. Sen. Bob Casey, D-Scranton, talks with Wilkes University students about the Perkins Loan program at the Henry Student Center in Wilkes-Barre on Friday. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/web1_perkinsloan012.jpg</photo0><caption0>U.S. Sen. Bob Casey, D-Scranton, talks with Wilkes University students about the Perkins Loan program at the Henry Student Center in Wilkes-Barre on Friday. </caption0><photoCredit0>Pete G. Wilcox | Times Leader </photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/web1_perkinsloan022.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Wilkes University Student Government President Anthony Fanucci makes his remarks on the Perkins Loan program at the Henry Student Center on Friday. Looking on is U.S. Sen. Bob Casey, D-Scranton. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/web1_perkinsloan022.jpg</photo1><caption1>Wilkes University Student Government President Anthony Fanucci makes his remarks on the Perkins Loan program at the Henry Student Center on Friday. Looking on is U.S. Sen. Bob Casey, D-Scranton. </caption1><photoCredit1>Pete G. Wilcox | Times Leader </photoCredit1></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><subheadMeta>More than 1,800 set to lose funding for next semester</subheadMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Bill O&#8217;Boyle</p><p>boboyle@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Bill O&#8217;Boyle at 570-991-6118 or on Twitter @TLBillOBoyle.</p></shirttailMeta></div>

More than 1,800 area students in limbo trying to figure out how to pay for next semester