SAMPLE LETTERS

Contacting your legislators can help make Pennsylvania Promise a reality. Not sure what to say? We’ve composed some sample messages to get you started.

High school student

As a high school student who is weighing whether to attend college here in Pennsylvania, I’m asking that you support Pennsylvania Promise legislation to make college affordable for students in the Commonwealth. Affordability is going to be a huge consideration when I start applying to schools, and I need to know that my parents won’t go into debt to help fund my education. Young people like me are the future of this state, and we need leaders who will fight for us and the generations that come after.

College student

As a student at a state university, I’m desperately asking that you consider supporting Pennsylvania Promise legislation to make college affordable in the Commonwealth. Student loans are crushing my family’s finances, and it’s hard to see my parents dip into their personal savings to try and put me through college. I’m already working two jobs, and my grades are struggling because of that. Furthermore, I have two younger siblings who also dream of attaining a college education, and I’m afraid there might not be enough money left for them to attend. Please support Pennsylvania Promise legislation.

College senior

As a state-university student who is about to graduate, I need your help with the student-loan debt I already face. I have a job lined up, but I will be living paycheck-to-paycheck longterm and won’t be able to buy a home or start a family for the foreseeable future. I’m ready to contribute to Pennsylvania and the United States, but I need your help to do so. Please consider passing Pennsylvania Promise legislation to make college affordable for students in the Commonwealth.

College graduate

I graduated this spring from college here in Pennsylvania, and my friends still in school need your help through the Pennsylvania Promise legislation. I live paycheck to paycheck, and I am struggling to make ends meet. With my crippling student debt, I sometimes wonder how I am going to make it. Pennsylvania Promise will be a lifeline to those who are going to walk into my situation in the near future, and I know affordable college would do a tremendous amount of good for this state.

Parent

My child is a student at a state school, and I am deeply worried about his future. Not only am I co-signing loans on his behalf, but I’m also taking money out of my own pocket to fund his education. With younger children to clothe, feed, and send to school, there’s only so much money to go around. I’m asking that you consider supporting Pennsylvania Promise legislation to help working-class families like mine as we send our children to college.

Adult without degree

As someone who never attended college because of the cost, I’m hoping you consider supporting Pennsylvania Promise legislation. With a degree, I could have pursued my dreams. Unfortunately, I could not — simply because of the price tag associated with attending school. I know there are many younger people like me, and I would hate to see them miss out on what they truly want to do in life.

College-educated Pennsylvania resident

I often hear people who graduated from college 20, 30, or 40 years ago argue that “I got a job when I was in college and paid for everything.” However, tuition and fees to attend a State System university have increased 51 percent since 2000, and many part- or even full-time jobs often are not enough to pay for a modern college education and other living expenses. Young people in this state need our help, and that’s why I’m asking you to consider supporting Pennsylvania Promise legislation.

Faculty member

As a professor at a Pennsylvania university, I am concerned about the financial well-being of some of my students. Some students come into class after working until 3 a.m., while others frequently miss class because they’re scheduled to work. Many of these students even struggle finding food because they’ve used grocery money to pay for school. They need your help. Please support Pennsylvania Promise legislation to make college more affordable for students in the Commonwealth.