UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — A group of Penn State student leaders delivered a letter to leaders of the Pennsylvania General Assembly on Thursday, June 20, encouraging them to support increased state funding for the University.
The letter was submitted by the presidents and vice presidents of Penn State’s Lion Caucus, the University Park Undergraduate Association, the Council of Commonwealth Student Governments, and the Graduate and Professional Student Association.
“As a group of student leaders who represent nearly 90,000 Penn State students, we are asking that you support equitable funding for Penn State University, our Commonwealth Campuses, and students across the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania,” the student leaders wrote.
The letter follows earlier advocacy efforts during Capital Day in Harrisburg, where close to 200 Penn State students from University Park and the Commonwealth Campuses met with state legislators to advocate for fair funding for the University.
Each year, state funding allows Penn State to offer a significant in-state tuition discount to more than 42,000 Pennsylvania resident undergraduate students and their families. The students highlighted the importance of this funding in their letter but also noted the significant funding disparity between Penn State students and their in-state peers at Pennsylvania’s other public universities.
Currently, Penn State is Pennsylvania’s lowest-funded public university on a per-student basis, receiving between $3,000 and $3,700 less per-Pennsylvania resident student compared to the commonwealth’s other public institutions.
“When compared to other state-related institutions in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Penn State is disadvantaged considering the unique impact it has on the Commonwealth and the hundreds of thousands of graduates that have helped to further contribute to the economy of Pennsylvania,” the students wrote.
The student leaders also expanded their letter beyond the direct impact on students to demonstrate the University’s commonwealth-wide impact.
“Penn State impacts 1% of Pennsylvania's total GDP, accounting for over $11.6 billion in growth for the Commonwealth. Students who graduate from the University are more likely to reside in Pennsylvania than any other state, driving the Commonwealth’s economy and powering our workforce,” the letter continued.
Penn State’s general support appropriation must be approved annually by a two-thirds vote of the Pennsylvania General Assembly and signed into law by the governor. State funding last increased in 2019-20 when lawmakers approved a 2% funding boost. In terms of real dollars, Penn State receives less than it did in the 2010-11 fiscal year.
The General Assembly has not yet introduced a bill providing for Penn State’s 2024-25 general support appropriation. Lawmakers in Harrisburg are currently going through the state budget process, while also taking steps toward establishing a new performance-based funding model that could, in part, change the way the state funds public higher education institutions.
All Penn Staters are encouraged to sign up to be a Penn State advocate at psu.edu/advocate so they can join these student leaders in speaking up for Penn State.