Higher Education Funding Debate Heats Up In The House

HARRISBURG – Determining how much of our tax money is provided to Pennsylvania’s public universities is one part of the ongoing budget process in the PA House. This week, the debate over how best to support Pennsylvania’s students, families and university staff began, and will continue into next week. In budget hearings earlier this year, leaders of Penn State, Temple University and the University of Pittsburgh all pledged to raise tuition, even if they received a proposed 7% increase in state funding compared to last year. By comparison, state system universities (such as Millersville, Shippensburg, Mansfield and others) have promised to freeze tuition if their system receives a 2% increase. PA has a track record of strong support for our technical and veterinary schools that have tremendous job placement ratings. But there are concerns over how our tax money that reaches our largest state universities, which last year totaled nearly $600 million, is actually spent.