Add as a preferred source on Google

University of Pittsburgh Launches Initiative to Support Education Debt Relief and Student Success

  • 10/08/18

PITTSBURGH, PA – The University of Pittsburgh (Pitt) has announced the launch of an innovative program related to financing higher education.

Panthers Forward, an initiative of Chancellor Patrick Gallagher, will accommodate up to 150 seniors who will graduate from the Pittsburgh campus in the spring of 2019. Once accepted into the program, participating seniors will each receive up to $5,000, which the university will pay toward their eligible federal student loan balance upon graduation.

Additional details are available on the Panthers Forward website.

As alumni, participants will be asked—but not required—to “pay it forward” via monthly contributions. All donations to Panthers Forward will be reinvested to support future generations of participants and to strengthen and sustain the program. Over time, participants will also become part of an exclusive network of Pitt alumni who will share their professional experiences, perspectives and advice.

“Panthers Forward injects some much-needed innovation into the stagnant landscape of higher education financing,” says Gallagher. “It’s a bold new approach that utilizes a pay-it-forward philosophy and the power of community to position students at the University of Pittsburgh for lifelong success.”  

The university’s Offices of the Chancellor and Institutional Advancement have partnered with Altian Education, a firm founded by three Pitt alumni, for the program’s launch.

“Panthers Forward is not something we’ve seen before,” says Pat O’Donnell (ENGR ’14), Altian Education co-founder. “It is taking one of the most pressing issues facing students today—college debt—and creating a new option that’s more financially flexible, collaborative, and professionally focused.”

A Closer Look: Panthers Forward  
  • This program is open to full-time students on the Pittsburgh campus who are in good academic standing and have received a federal loan to help finance their senior year.
  • Once accepted into the program, participants will have access to an exclusive network of alumni-mentors who are dedicated to supporting the students’ professional success.
  • Shortly after participants graduate, the university will apply funds directly to their federal loan balance. 
  • As Pitt alumni, participants will have an opportunity to “pay it forward” to Pitt students who are following in their path. Donations to Panthers Forward are tax-deductible.
  • Participants are under no contractual obligation to donate up to or more than the amount applied to their federal loan balance, but their voluntary support is critical to sustaining the program and helping future Pitt Panthers.

Featured

  • Image credit: O

    Strategic Campus Assessment: Moving Beyond Reactive Maintenance in Educational Facilities

    While campuses may appear stable on the surface, building systems naturally evolve over time, and proactive assessment can identify developing issues before they become expensive emergencies. The question isn't whether aging educational facilities need attention. It's how institutions can transition from costly reactive maintenance to strategic asset management in a way that protects both budgets and communities.

  • Los Angeles City College Breaks Ground on New Administration, Workforce Building

    Los Angeles City College (LACC) in Los Angeles, Calif., recently broke ground on a new $72-million administrative facility, according to a news release. The Cesar Chavez Administration and Workforce Building will stand four stories, cover 67,230 square feet, and play home to a wide variety of the school’s educational and administrative services.

  • North Dakota State University Completes Music School Renovation

    North Dakota State University in Fargo, N.D., recently announced that construction on the Challey School of Music has finished, according to a news release. The university partnered with Foss Architecture & Interiors for design and Kraus-Anderson for construction services, and construction began in July 2024.

  • Geometric abstract school illustration

    How Design Shapes Learning and Success

    Can the color of a wall, the curve of a chair, or the hum of fluorescent lights really affect how a student learns? More schools are beginning to think so.

Digital Edition