Category: Local

by Victoria Lavelle

Pennsylvania Department of Transportation will begin issuing Real ID’s in March. Image courtesy of PennDOT

For college students across Pennsylvania, the countdown has begun on current driver licenses as they are all set to expire in a little over a year as the state introduces new, federally compliant REAL ID driver’s licenses beginning next month.

Beginning in October 2020, Pennsylvanians will be required to obtain a REAL ID-compliant driver’s license, photo ID card, or another form of federally-acceptable identification (such as a valid passport or military ID) when they board a domestic commercial flight or enter a federal building or military installation that requires ID.

Getting a REAL ID is optional for Pennsylvania residents, but they will be available in March 2019 to Pennsylvanians who want them.

The Real ID Law passed in 2005 under President George W. Bush to keep America safer from terrorism by making it harder to obtain an identification card.

After Sept. 11, 2001, the 9/11 Commission found considerable differences regarding the set of requirements each state had set for residents to obtain an official government issued ID.

To correct the matter, the federal government issued standard guidelines for all 50 states, including the District of Columbia and U.S. territories, to ensure consistency across the nation.

To upgrade a Pennsylvania ID card or driver’s license to an official REAL ID heading into 2020 requires that individuals provide the following:

• A valid birth certificate,

• A Social Security Card (non-laminated),

• Proof of all legal name changes (marriage certificate or court order issued by your county’s family court),

• Two forms of proof of address (utility bill & bank statements) with scan capability.

A new license will cost $60.50 — in comparison to the previous PennDOT renewal fee of $30.50 — as it’s reported to include  a one-time REAL ID fee of $30.50.

Additionally, REAL IDs are set to last four years,  plus  any remaining time on your previous license. After the one-time initial $30 upgrade fee, the price of renewal every four years will drop back to the usual $30.50.

States that don’t comply will forfeit their right to have their ID cards recognized as Federal ID’s which means that those drivers licenses will not be recognized by Homeland Security, preventing folks from boarding airplanes, entering military facilities, or visiting Federal Buildings requiring ID. REAL ID modern technology includes facial recognition software utilizing each DMV photo to ensure credibility, the sharing of criminal and driving records with all 50 states, and gold star branding that identifies all ID holders as American citizens, according to Homeland Security.

To date, some states have continued issuing legal ID’s to non-American citizens as long as applicants have a birth certificate and proof of address. Someone with a previously issued state ID card or driver’s license can still enjoy the driving benefits, but won’t be permitted to board an airplane.

The reason Pennsylvania is up against a deadline is that the General Assembly pushed back by passing a law in 2011 that prohibited Pennsylvania from complying with the federal standard.

The language of the approved bill hinted at what may have been an objection with the federal law by allowing the governor or attorney general to challenge the constitutionality or legality of the Real ID Act.

This spring, PennDOT plans to raise awareness about the REAL ID through social media and marketing campaigns, as well as by sending mailers to driver’s license holders.

“We’re still on track to begin issuing in March,” said Kurt Myers, deputy secretary for driver and vehicle services at PennDOT, in an official email.  “There are a lot of moving parts, but I feel comfortable that things will be in place by March.”

PennDOT began prequalifying Pennsylvanians for Real ID’s last September. State residents may bring their REAL ID required documents into any PennDOT driver license center for pre-verification and file storage.

Once documents are filed at the department and REAL IDs are available in March, customers can apply online, pay the one-time fee, and their REAL ID product will be mailed to them within 7-10 days; or they can visit one of up to 13 REAL ID centers and receive their REAL ID product over the counter at the time of service.

There’s a slight bonus for some residents  who received their first PA driver’s license or ID card after September 2003 because the agency may already have documents on file.

PennDOT estimates roughly 3.5 million Pennsylvanians have existing documents on file, yet they encourage everyone to do an online check to verify document validity. Once verification is complete, residents can fill out the online PennDOT form to ensure their records are marked “verified status” to enjoy the fortune of applying for and receiving their REAL ID via U.S. postal mail.

Those without verified documents will have to take their documents to a driver’s license center in person. PennDOT suggests that residents with valid passports wait a few months before getting a Real ID so those without passports can be first in line.

Pennsylvanians can call PennDOT at 717-412-5300 or check the PennDOT website starting in March to verify if the department has documents stored on file.

An official statement released by PennDOT reads: “Our staff manually checks customers’ records document by document, which has created a backlog in processing the thousands of applications the department has received.

The department is applicants to be patient.” For more info visit http://www.dmv.pa.gov/REALID/Pages/ default.aspx

Contact Victoria Lavelle at communitarian@mail.dccc.edu

The Department of Homeland Security provides this diagram to help address false rumors regarding new REAL ID’s. Graphic courtesy of PennDOT

 

by Victoria Lavelle

College students rally for debt-free college. Photo by Clem Murray/TN

Pennsylvania’s young adults continue shouldering most of the expense while accumulating insurmountable debt to attend community colleges and public universities, so state legislators universities, so state legislators started exploring new ways to make college more affordable statewide in 2018.

Pennsylvania State Sen. Vincent J. Hughes, (D-Philadelphia) and Pennsylvania State Rep. James Roebuck, (D-Philadelphia) introduced bills to the state’s General Assembly in Harrisburg last June — while leaders in Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education voted in July to increase tuition for in-state students by 3 percent.

Dubbed the “Pennsylvania Promise,” Hughes and Roebucks the proposed legislation’s sets to expand access and affordability to area community colleges and state-owned and state-related universities by reducing student debt and assisting low and middle-income families with paying for higher education.

Pointing to research estimating 63 percent of new job opportunities in the state will require a college education by the year 2020, Hughes emphasizes that currently less than 38 percent of Pennsylvanians are eligible applicants with the qualified education to fill those jobs.

“There is a pressing need for reinvestment in postsecondary education and job-skill training a large body of economic research reflects that slacking educational attainment translates to lower wages and incomes for individuals and slower economic growth for regions,” Hughes states on his official website. “The Pennsylvania Promise has the potential to transform people’s lives, enrich entire communities and strengthen the state’s foundation bustling with productivity, opportunity, with a prosperous economy. The nations race for raising incomes and increasing opportunity hinges critically on access to post-secondary education and training. If Pennsylvania does not expand access to higher education to more of its citizens, the Commonwealth’s economy will suffer and living standards will fall behind growth elsewhere.”

According to college rankings by U.S. News and World Report, Pennsylvania ranks 47th on post-graduation debt, 48th for costly tuition and fees, and dead last with a 50th ranking for higher education. Currently, per capita funding for higher education in Pennsylvania ranks 47th in the nation.

The increase in state spending required under the Pennsylvania Promise Bill would raise Pennsylvania’s rank to 36th, according to data collected by the Keystone Research Center and Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center in June 2017.

The Pennsylvania Plan aims to cover two years of college tuition and fees for recent high school graduates and adults seeking in-demand skills and industry-recognized credentials by attending one of the state’s 14 community colleges.

Furthermore, it would also cover four years of tuition and fees at a state-owned or state-related university for students with a family income of $110,000 or less per year. Students whose family income is $48,000 or less would also be eligible for assistance with costs associated with student housing.

Based on studies conducted by the Keystone Research Center and the Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center, the proposed plan would be administered by the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA), according to a sponsorship memo drafted by the minority chair of the state House Education Committee, James Roebuck (D-Philadelphia).

With a modest and smart investment, the Keystone Research Center predicts that Pennsylvania can build a more prosperous future for its citizens and reinvigorate the American Dream in every corner of the state.

On the flip side, there are reasons for concern regarding tuition-free college according to the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center (NSC), including poor academic track record of community college attendees, the possible bleak economic growth implications from financing so-called free college, and also issues stemming around fairness.

That, in turn, contributes to the fact that more than a third of students who start college still haven’t earned degrees after six years, the NSC reports, often piling up loan debt with no payoff.

Recent data reflects that 47 percent of community college enrollees drop out of school, while only 27 percent graduated, according to the National Student Clearinghouse.

“The idea of tuition-free college in Pennsylvania sounds like a noble cause, yet there are also a few realities to consider,” DCCC communication of arts major Jerome Jenkins said. “The undeniable truth is that nothing in life is really free. Though a select group of folks may benefit from tuitionfree college, it’s important to remember that someone, somewhere else will be footing the bill in order to provide free college opportunities.”

As of January 2019, the Pennsylvania Promise bill currently has 23 cosponsors that consists of 22 Democrats and one Republican, Rep. Thomas Murt, (R-Hatboro), and it is presently awaiting consideration in the House Education Committee.

Contact Victoria Lavelle at communitarian@mail.dccc.edu