The third time is the charm, after months of fighting, the PA State House achieved its goal of implementing a tuition freeze for the 2024-2025 academic year at Temple University, Lincoln University, the University of Pittsburgh and the Pennsylvania State University. With this victory comes $640 million to be dispersed amongst the four universities.
House Bill 612 has failed twice since the summer. The second vote was only six votes shy of achieving the required 135. On the most recent vote which occurred on October 31, 2023, the State House voted 147-57.
Lincoln University, a Historically Black College and University (HBCU), will receive a 25% increase in funding for the 2024-2025 academic year. Additionally, Temple, Penn State and Pitt are all set to receive a 7% increase for the 2024-2025 school year. Now that the House Bill has been passed in Pennsylvania, it is off to the Senate.
Penn State University commented on their lack of funding, stating “Our elected officials cannot expect Penn State to offer a world-class education to our students while providing state funding near the lowest level in the nation.”
Out of all the public state institutions in Pennsylvania, Penn State receives the lowest per-student funding. Not to mention that PA is ranked 49th nationally regarding per-student support at public higher education facilities.
What areas of Penn State will benefit from the government funding?
The government funding will primarily go to lowering in-state tuition as well as teaching costs. According to a proposal made by Penn State, the additional funds will go to the College of Medicine, the College of Technology, agricultural research, an advanced technology initiative and Invent Penn State.
Invent Penn State is a LaunchBox and Innovation Network. It would receive the smallest portion of government funding.
With a $700 million stadium renovation in the works, many are questioning where Penn State’s priorities lie. Other current projects at Penn State are the final renovations of East Halls as well as a new engineering building which is currently under construction.
Don’t celebrate just yet, with the Bill heading towards the Senate, big changes could be coming in the near future. What lies ahead for public universities in Pennsylvania?
Tag us @valleymag and share your thoughts. What do you think Penn State do with the additional funding? Additionally, keep up with the This Just In section of the website, to stay on top of current events.
