UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Advocate Penn State Capital Day will return with a new take on the annual University-wide day of advocacy that brings together the Penn State community to share their stories of the many ways Penn State benefits the commonwealth.
This year, Capital Day On Campus will shift the usual focus of advocating in Harrisburg to advocating and engaging with students and the Penn State community on campuses across the commonwealth as they advocate for fairer funding for Penn State and our students and families.
At University Park, Capital Day On Campus will be held from noon to 4 p.m. on Friday, April 14, in the HUB-Robeson Center. The event, which coincides with Blue-White weekend, aims to directly engage students to participate in the University’s single-largest day of advocacy by sending messages of support to their elected officials.
Commonwealth Campuses will hold their own tabling events on their campus to advocate and send messages to legislators. Please check your local campus to see when it will host Capital Day On Campus.
“While we won't be in Harrisburg this year, we’re very excited to bring the spirit of Capital Day to our campus communities,” said Jimi Werner, advocacy and communication specialist for the Office of Government and Community Relations. “Student engagement is paramount to our overall advocacy success, and Capital Day On Campus provides a great opportunity to reach the whole student body.”
The Penn State community is encouraged to join Advocate Penn State by sending their own letters of support for Penn State’s general support appropriation. An email-writing campaign will go live on the Advocate Penn State website on April 14 so everyone can easily advocate and demonstrate support for Penn State.
Organized by Advocate Penn State and the Office of Government and Community Relations, Capital Day serves as the University’s single-largest day of advocacy.
Usually, students and Penn State leadership would go to the Pennsylvania Capitol in Harrisburg to advocate directly to elected officials, but scheduling issues within the General Assembly precluded that activity this year
“Advocacy efforts like Capital Day are crucial as we work toward our ultimate goal of closing the per-student funding disparity that exists between Penn State and other Pennsylvania public universities,” said Zack Moore, Penn State vice president for Government and Community Relations. “Our students, families, faculty and staff, and alumni continue to be our best advocates, and it is important that they share their positive Penn State stories with their elected officials.”
In his inaugural budget address, Gov. Josh Shapiro proposed a 7.1% increase to Penn State’s general support funding, which allows the University to provide an in-state tuition rate that saves the average Pennsylvania resident more than $13,000 annually compared to a nonresident student.
That proposal falls short of the 47.6% increase requested by the University for its 2023-24 general support funding — a request designed to place Penn State’s in-state students on equal financial footing with their peers at Pennsylvania’s other public universities. Penn State receives the lowest funding in the state on a per-student basis, lagging behind the commonwealth’s other public institutions by between $2,600 and $3,400 per Pennsylvania resident student.
Supporters should visit advocate.psu.edu on the morning of April 14 to participate in the event by sending an email to their state representative and senator. Participants are encouraged to share their activity and their stories of Penn State’s impact on social media using the hashtags #PSUCapitalDay and #PennStateStory.
Stay up to date on Capital Day and Advocate Penn State on social media at @AdvocatePennState on Facebook and LinkedIn, @Advocate_PennState on Instagram, and @AdvocateState on Twitter.