HARRISBURG — Two state lawmakers who lead the board of Pennsylvania's student-aid agency are pushing measures to reduce by 25 percent the number of board members who are legislators, replacing them with people who have relevant professional experience.

Rep. Bill Adolph, R-Delaware, and Sen. Sean Logan, D-Allegheny, introduced identical bills Monday that would cut the number of sitting lawmakers on the 20-member Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency board from 16 to 12.

Logan said the goal is to fill those four spots with people knowledgeable about finance, banking and computer technology. The bill also emphasizes a need for those with a background in investing, higher education and higher-education finance.

Adolph and Logan, the PHEAA board's chairman and vice chairman, respectively, said the complexity of the student aid industry requires the input of people with relevant professional experience.

The PHEAA board currently consists of 16 state lawmakers, three gubernatorial appointees and the secretary of education. The legislative members are evenly divided among the four caucuses.

PHEAA has come under fire in recent years for the high salaries of its executives and spending on lavish retreats and other items.