A proposal to create a statewide merit-based college scholarship was highlighted yesterday in Pittsburgh by state Rep. Tony Payton Jr., D-Philadelphia.

The news conference at the University of Pittsburgh was sponsored by the Pennsylvania League of Young Voters.

The proposed program is called the REACH scholarship, which stands for reliable education assistance for college hopefuls.

The scholarship would require students to maintain a B-minus average for sophomore through senior years and a 90 percent attendance rate. It would offer a full tuition scholarship to any of the 14 State System of Higher Education schools or the amount of the average state school tuition for a private college or university in Pennsylvania.

The grant would become a loan if the recipient did not stay in Pennsylvania for four years after graduation.