Glitches, unproven tech in new Pa. financial aid system exacerbated delays for thousands of...

WESA 4/17 11:32P Charlotte Keith | Spotlight PA

School administrators struggled to use an unfamiliar system riddled with problems as thousands of students waited for money they were counting on to pay for college.

PPS is purchasing healthier, more sustainable food. Federal cuts could limit that progress.

WESA 4/16 11:30P Jillian Forstadt

A recent report found that more than 15% of the district’s $5.6 million food budget that year was spent on items from local and family-owned suppliers.

At least 14 Penn State international students have had their visas revoked

WESA 4/14 11:30P Anne Danahy

At least 14 international students at Penn State have recently had their visas revoked, in what appears to be part of a broader shift in enforcement under President Donald Trump.

Pa. and 15 other states sue over Trump administration's halt of pandemic relief aid for schools

WESA 4/11 12:41A Carolyn Thompson | Associated Pr

Public officials in 16 states and the District of Columbia are suing the Trump administration to restore access to federal pandemic relief funding for schools

Trump administration revokes visas of 2 current, 5 former international students at Carnegie Mellon

WESA 4/9 1:03A Susan Scott Peterson

CMU's provost sent a letter to students and staff informing them that the student visas of two current students and five recent graduates had been revoked.

Want to fix your door, headphones, jeans? New how-to-repair clinic has just opened up in Pittsburgh

WESA 4/7 11:32P Gabriela Herring

About 25 repairs and a dozen people stopped in over the course of the inaugural Repair Cafe Pittsburgh event. Subsequent events are planned at Construction Junction in Point Breeze the first Saturday of each month.

Duquesne president Ken Gormley on higher ed uncertainty and what’s next after he steps down in 2026

WESA 4/7 11:31P Priyanka Tewari, Susan Scott Pet

90.5 WESA’s Priyanka Tewari interviewed Gormley about his next act and the challenges facing higher education under the Trump administration.

Private funding has created 100s of new child care spots in this Pa. county

WESA 4/6 8:00A Sarah Boden | Spotlight PA

But the money will run out by the end of 2026 and funders want state lawmakers to provide a more permanent solution to the low wages and limited availability common to the child care industry.

UCLA study reveals what now-teens remember about Daniel Tiger

WESA 4/2 11:30P Gabriela Herring

The small study surveyed 150 teens ages 13-16 who were toddlers when the show first aired. Researchers found that 71% remembered feeling happy while watching the show, 57% said their most memorable lessons from Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood were...

Members sue Pa. teachers union over personal data hack and theft

WESA 3/27 11:30P Borys Krawczeniuk | WVIA News

In separate federal lawsuits filed in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, three union members say Pennsylvania State Education Association failed to protect their data then waited more than eight months to let them...

CMU president pens letter addressing federal funding turmoil, China ties

WESA 3/27 7:13A Kiley Koscinski

After weeks of silence, Carnegie Mellon University's president is speaking out about the impact of a shifting federal funding landscape and congressional inquiries.

PPS postpones next phase in school closure process after parents call for more data

WESA 3/26 11:30P Jillian Forstadt

Administrators’ decision followed concerns from parents, teachers, and even Pittsburgh City Council, about a lack of data on the repercussions of the school closures.

Penn State made deep cuts to engineering, graduate school amid budget woes

WESA 3/22 1:01A Wyatt Massey | Spotlight PA Stat

Since Penn State announced its multimillion-dollar budget deficit in 2022, the university has deeply cut the budgets to its graduate school and engineering college, a Spotlight PA analysis found.

Trump administration freezes $175M in funding to Univ. of Pennsylvania over trans athlete policies

WESA 3/20 12:31A Jared Mitovich | WHYY

“This is immediate proactive action to review discretionary funding streams” to the University of Pennsylvania, a senior White House official told WHYY News.

PPS could begin public hearings on 10 proposed school closures as soon as next month

WESA 3/19 11:34P Jillian Forstadt

Once that process is complete, board members will be able to cast their votes to reshape the district’s footprint, potentially as soon as this summer.