UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Each year on Capital Day, more than 200 Penn State students from across the commonwealth gather in the Pennsylvania State Capitol in Harrisburg to advocate for vital state funding that benefits all Penn State students.
This year, students met with a record number of elected leaders and staff throughout the Capitol to demonstrate Penn State’s impact on the commonwealth.
“Increased investment from the state is needed for the University to continue to attract the state’s top students, offer innovative academic programs, and prepare the state’s future workforce,” said Penn State President Neeli Bendapudi at a press conference during Capital Day. “That’s why we’re here. That’s why you’re here. To share your stories and advocate for the support that Penn State needs and deserves.”
Organized by Penn State’s Office of Government and Community Relations, Advocate Penn State Capital Day and the surrounding digital advocacy campaign aim to show members of the Pennsylvania General Assembly and Gov. Josh Shapiro the impact of state dollars in communities across the state.
More than 2,000 Penn Staters have already taken action to advocate for this crucial funding — and it's not to late for even more community members to stand up and voice their support for Penn State in Harrisburg.
All members of the Penn State community — alumni, faculty, staff, students, parents, friends and supporters — can still join the advocacy campaign at advocate.psu.edu to show their support for Penn State and increased state funding.
Student leaders from across the commonwealth have spent the last few months preparing to speak with legislators through training sessions, structured educational outreach, and peer interactions.
Throughout their meetings, students urged elected officials to support increased state funding for Penn State, which helps to keep tuition affordable for all Pennsylvania resident undergraduate students and supports Penn State’s mission to provide world-class accessible education, groundbreaking research, and service to the commonwealth.
“Despite Penn State’s size, reach and impact, it receives the lowest per-student funding of any state-related university,” said student Mike Fowler, president of the Penn State Lion Caucus. “This disparity affects tuition, student support services, research opportunities, and even the commonwealth’s future workforce. As someone who works alongside both in-state and out-of-state students, I’ve seen how cost is often the greatest barrier to opportunity.”
State appropriations allow Penn State to offer a significant tuition discount to more than 40,000 Pennsylvania resident students and their families each year. Currently, Penn State receives between $3,700 and $4,700 less per in-state student compared to Pennsylvania's other public universities.
“Capital Day reminds students of the power their voices hold. This day of advocacy acts as a wonderful opportunity for students to show how Penn State has changed not only their lives, but the lives of those in every corner of the commonwealth,” said Cristina Mac Cormac, Lion Caucus treasurer. “By advocating for equitable funding, we’re advocating for our own educations, our peers’ educations, and the educations of every Penn Stater to come!”
Capital Day concluded with a press conference where several students had the opportunity to share their Penn State story.
Tyler Hoppe, president of the Council of Commonwealth Student Governments, spoke during the press conference and said that Penn State’s 2+2 program allowed him to find a pathway to success.
“I found that Penn State offered a wide arrangement of unique programs, offices and circumstances at each Commonwealth Campus, allowing all students to find the best possible environment for them to excel through addressing their specific needs,” Hoppe said.
Zion Sykes, completing his tenure as president of the University Park Undergraduate Association, mentioned all of the opportunities he’s had at Penn State to further his overall educational experience.
“I’ve done environmental consulting in Tokyo, had the chance to speak before the House Education Committee, finished my honors thesis, have had the incredible privilege of serving as Penn State’s student body president, and so much more,” Sykes said. “I would never have imagined any of this for myself when I applied to this university without a home, unsure of what my future could look like.”
In total, students held hundreds of meetings with legislators in support of Penn State and this vital funding that impacts them and their peers across the state, while also showing a good bit of Penn State pride in the process.
On April 25, Lion Caucus and Advocate Penn State will keep the advocacy action rolling with the annual Capital Day On Campus advocacy event in the HUB-Robeson Center to encourage the University Park community to advocate for funding by sending pre-written emails to their elected officials.
The event will feature giveaways throughout the day, appearances by various Penn State organizations and clubs, and end with speeches from Penn State students and University leaders.
Learn more about Penn State advocacy by following Advocate Penn State on Instagram, LinkedIn, X and Facebook.