Why Penn State doesn’t support a bill to fund state-related universities

• By Sydney Roach/WPSU

The four state-related universities in Pennsylvania, including Penn State, are a step closer to getting delayed state funding. But there is one catch that has some universities concerned.

House Bill 612, which passed the house Tuesday, would require the universities to freeze tuition for the 2024-25 academic year.

Penn State says it “cannot support the amendment adopted by the House” to require the freeze. In a statement, a Penn State official said the university has already frozen tuition for all in-state undergraduate students at Commonwealth campuses for both this year and next. The official says the tuition freeze would apply to all students – and equate to a $54-million cut.

“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,” said Penn State spokesman Wyatt DuBois.

Tor Michael McCartney is the chief of staff for Rep. Scott Conklin, who voted to approve the bill. He said he understands where the university is coming from.

“But unfortunately, this was a situation that we had to give and compromise in order to at least move this much needed funding,” said McCartney.

He said the required tuition freeze is unfortunate, but was needed to get enough Republican support for funding that is now four months late and has held up Penn State employee raises.

“It’s disappointing. Penn State University has been waiting since the summer for the appropriation. We have employees that are held in the balance. It’s just no way to conduct business,” McCartney said.

Rep. Paul Takac also voted to approve the bill, but not without his own reservations.

“I am concerned about the precedent of the legislature potentially restricting or limiting the autonomy of the board of trustees to make decisions like that, that are in the best interest of the university and all of the 24 campuses as a whole,” Takac said.

Temple University is also speaking out against the bill’s requirement to freeze tuition. In a statement to WPSU, a spokesperson said “at a time when Temple University is facing near-unprecedented rising costs and decreasing enrollment, honoring such a freeze would prove to be incredibly challenging.”

In total, House Bill 612 would give state-related universities more than $642 million. Penn State would get more than $259 million, while the Pennsylvania College of Technology would get about $28.6. The bill now heads to the Senate for consideration.

Read Penn State’s full statement below:

“Penn State has already frozen tuition for all Pennsylvania resident undergraduate students at all of our Commonwealth Campuses for both this year and 2024-25. While we appreciate the Pennsylvania House approving increased funding for Penn State for the current fiscal year, we simply cannot support the amendment adopted by the House, which would undermine the Board of Trustees’ authority to set tuition and force the University to freeze tuition for all students in the next academic year, effectively resulting in a $54 million cut. The University has made modest tuition increases at University Park campus and graduate degree programs. The appropriation level passed by the Pennsylvania House today is still less funding than Penn State received in 2010-11, even without accounting for inflation. 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.”