Now that the four state-related universities will get about $600 million from the Commonwealth in overdue appropriations they had sought, Pennsylvania’s top House Republican has a request of them: Freeze prices.
House Speaker Mike Turzai, R-Marshall, issued that call to the University of Pittsburgh, Penn State University, Temple and Lincoln universities. For weeks, the schools, their students, employees and others pressured House Republicans to act on funding bills held hostage to a nearly four-month-long dispute over how to fully fund the Commonwealth’s $32 billion budget.
In a statement posted to his web site as the stalemate finally broke late Wednesday, Mr. Turzai said those schools already had received almost 8 percent in funding increases, from 2014-15 up to last year.
Now, the four state-related schools — along with the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Veterinary Medicine — stand to share in more than $600 million for 2017-18.
“We are hoping that these state-related universities make a commitment to not increase tuition and room and board for our Pennsylvania students attending these institutions for the 2018-19 school year now that state tax dollars have been appropriated,” Mr. Turzai wrote. “These appropriations should be focused on making higher education more affordable for Pennsylvania students.”
There was no immediate reaction from Pitt. Earlier Thursday, Pitt Chancellor Patrick Gallagher in a message to campus lauded those who had lobbied for the aid.
“Your strong support, expressed in tens of thousands of phone calls, emails and letters, was vital to this positive outcome,” he wrote. “Your messages to lawmakers affirmed that the University of Pittsburgh is critically important to Pennsylvania families and to the success of our Commonwealth.”
He asked them to write Harrisburg again, expressing thanks. “We will need their support for the next budget season, so it is important to demonstrate that we appreciate their support for Pitt and that it matters.”
At Penn State, spokeswoman Lisa Powers said: “We are not at the point where our budgeting process is able to clearly determine what the needs will be for 2018-19. As always, we will keep tuition concerns at the forefront of our planning.”
Public university prices remain a sore spot in the state, with a new report showing that tuition and fees are 45 percent above the national average, eclipsed by only New Hampshire and Vermont.
State-related university leaders had warned that loss of their appropriations could have dire consequences, including a possible mid-year tuition hike and loss of an $11,000-plus discount for in-state students.
The revenue legislation that cleared the House and Senate now await Gov. Tom Wolf’s signature. His spokesman, J.J. Abbott, said the governor plans to sign the state-related funding that he already supported.
Liz Navratil contributed. Bill Schackner: bschackner@post-gazette.com, 412-263-1977 and on Twitter: @BschacknerPG.
First Published: October 26, 2017, 11:09 p.m.
