(2/2025) 2024 Property Tax/Rent Rebate Program Now Open

The application period for the state’s 2024 Property Tax/Rent Rebate Program is now open for eligible Pennsylvanians to begin claiming rebates on property taxes or rent paid last year. Income limits increased again this year to $46,520 for both homeowners and renters. This is due to a 2023 law I supported that calls for adjusting the income limit based on annual increases in the Consumer Price Index. Remember to exclude 50% of Social Security when determining your income. The maximum rebate is $1,000. The program is open to residents aged 65 years and older; widows and widowers 50 years and older; and people with disabilities 18 years and older. Remember – you do not need to pay anyone for assistance to apply for the rebates. Apply online at mypath.pa.gov, or contact my office for help.

Applications for 2025 Pennsylvania House Scholarship Available

High school seniors interested in receiving financial assistance to help pay for college can now apply for the Pennsylvania House of Representatives’ Scholarship. Each year the program awards a four-year scholarship to two students preparing for post-secondary education. It is open to graduating high school seniors who are Pennsylvania residents with plans to attend a Pennsylvania college, university or career school as a full-time student. To qualify, students must have attained a minimum 3.0 cumulative grade point average in high school. Other factors taken into consideration for the awards are a student’s commitment to community, leadership qualities, extracurricular activities and financial need. Application deadline is April 15. The scholarship program is administered through the Foundation for Enhancing Communities. The scholarship is privately funded by individual and corporate donors; no tax or other public funds are used. Scholarships are awarded through an independent panel of judges chosen by the foundation.

Attention Students: House Fellowship Program Taking Applications

The Pennsylvania House Legislative Fellowship Program is accepting applications for its summer 2025 semester. The program is based at Pennsylvania’s Capitol Building in Harrisburg where fellows are assigned to work in House standing committees or leadership offices. They are compensated for their work, which may also include college credit, and are provided opportunities to draft and present their own legislation, attend meet-and-greets with various public officials and staff, and tour some of the Commonwealth’s historic public spaces, to name a few. Qualified applicants must be undergraduate juniors or seniors, graduate students or law school students; enrolled in a Pennsylvania college/university or a Pennsylvania resident enrolled in an out-of-state institution; and students of any major with a GPA of 3.0 or higher. For more information or to apply, visit pahousefellowship.us. Applications can be submitted via email to pahousefellowship@pabmc.net. The deadline to apply is March 1.

Get Ready for REAL ID

The deadline for enforcement of the federal REAL ID Act is fast approaching. Beginning on May 7, you will have to present a federally accepted form of identification to board a commercial domestic flight or visit a secure federal building that requires ID at the door. Federally accepted forms of identification include a Pennsylvania REAL ID driver’s license or ID card, a U.S. passport or passport card, or a military ID. While all Pennsylvanians must comply with the new law to fly or enter federal buildings, obtaining a state-issued REAL ID is not mandatory. PennDOT will continue to offer standard-issue driver’s licenses and photo IDs. Full enforcement of the law has been delayed several times due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which was hindering efforts to process REAL ID applications across the country. To learn more about REAL ID and how to obtain one, visit penndot.gov/REALID.