University of Pittsburgh Announces Innovative Initiative Related to Higher Education Financing

Application Period to the New Program, Called Panthers Forward, is Now Open

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University of Pittsburgh

Oct 09, 2018, 09:38 ET

PITTSBURGH, Oct. 9, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The University of Pittsburgh is now accepting applications for its new program, Panthers Forward, an innovative initiative aimed at reducing student loan debt and supporting student success.

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Chancellor Patrick Gallagher (second from right) with alumni and co-founders of Altian Education: Rohit Anand (’17), Joseph Kannarkat (’18) and Pat O’Donnell (’14). Gallagher’s initiative, Panthers Forward, brings innovation to the higher education financing space. (Tom Altany/University of Pittsburgh)
Chancellor Patrick Gallagher (second from right) with alumni and co-founders of Altian Education: Rohit Anand (’17), Joseph Kannarkat (’18) and Pat O’Donnell (’14). Gallagher’s initiative, Panthers Forward, brings innovation to the higher education financing space. (Tom Altany/University of Pittsburgh)

The program will accommodate up to 150 full-time seniors and apply up to $5,000 to each participant's federal student loan balance. As alumni of the program, participants will be asked — but not required — to "pay it forward" via monthly contributions. Participants are under no contractual obligation to donate, but all contributions to Panthers Forward will be reinvested to support future generations of participants and help strengthen and sustain the program.

Once accepted into the program, participants will also have access to an exclusive network of alumni-mentors who are dedicated to supporting their professional success.

To be eligible for Panthers Forward, participants must be full-time students in good standing with the University and have received a federal loan to help finance their senior year. They must also be on track to graduate from the University's Pittsburgh campus in the spring of 2019.

Seniors interested in participating in Panthers Forward must complete a brief online application to be considered for the program. The application period begins today and runs until Wednesday, Oct. 31.

"Panthers Forward injects some much-needed innovation into the stagnant landscape of higher education financing," said Chancellor Patrick 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," said Pat O'Donnell, 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."

Contact: Joe Miksch, University of Pittsburgh News 
412-624-4356 (office); 412-997-0314 (cell); [email protected]

SOURCE University of Pittsburgh

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