HARRISBURG, Pa. -- Pennsylvania's student loan agency is seeking to appeal a Commonwealth Court order to turn over its expense records to three news organizations.

The court ruled last month that the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency violated the state's Right-to-Know law by refusing to turn over records of nearly $900,000 it spent on seven board retreats since 2000.

Lawyers for the agency now want the state Supreme Court to hear the case.

But because Commonwealth Court's decision is not final -- it still has to address the issues of attorneys fees and the redaction or blacking out of information in the reports -- PHEAA must ask the court's permission to take the case to a higher level.

Commonwealth Court has 30 days to certify the appeal or deny it.

PHEAA's attorneys claim the court should allow the appeal because the case is one of first impression in Pennsylvania and will affect the agency's operations. If Commonwealth Court certifies the appeal, PHEAA still must ask the state Supreme Court to hear the case.

Craig Staudenmaier, who represents The Patriot-News of Harrisburg, The Associated Press and Pittsburgh's WTAE-TV, said the appeal is meritless.

PHEAA denied all three news organizations' requests for the records. The agency, which manages student aid and student loans, claimed the records were not public because they contained trade secrets and personal information. The agency also claimed the records were exempt under the Right-to-Know Law because some PHEAA board members are legislators.

The court's decision would allow PHEAA to redact certain information, such as home addresses and Social Security numbers, but the agency must make a record of the redacted items.

Although PHEAA generates most of its income from student loans and other business endeavors, it received $429 million from the state in the 2005-06 fiscal year to offer student aid to residents, according to PHEAA's financial reports.