Jul 16, 2022 3 min read

Two weeks ago, and with relatively little fanfare, California University of Pennsylvania became Pennsylvania Western University, joining with Edinboro and Clarion universities to become a single institution that shares administrative functions and other resources.

The merger happened because schools within the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE) have been confronting dropping enrollment for years. Some of it is the result of demographic shifts, but some of it is also because tuition has become steadily less affordable for students from working- and middle-class households. Basic tuition has been holding at $7,716 for the last three years, which is less pricey than the tuition at Penn State ($18,000) or the University of Pittsburgh ($19,000), but still pretty costly. Once upon a time, lawmakers in Pennsylvania and other states provided much more money for public colleges and universities – in the 1970-71 academic year, the average cost for basic tuition and fees was $394, according to the National Center for Educational Statistics. It’s now $10,560, an increase of more than 2,000%. In 2022 dollars, that $394 would now be $2,843.

Among states hacking away at higher education budgets, Pennsylvania has regrettably been a leader – between 2008 and 2018, it was one of seven states that cut its contribution to public colleges and universities by at least 30%, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.

The days of generous support for public colleges and universities are not likely to make a comeback anytime soon, but Pennsylvania has taken a step in the right direction by increasing funding for the PASSHE by 16% in the 2022-23 state budget, the largest single-year increase the State System has received. It is also getting $125 million from the American Rescue Plan Act to support the ongoing redesign of the system, bringing the overall amount to $677 million.

Daniel Greenstein, the PASSHE chancellor, told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, “We are owned by the state. We are open for business. We are being approached on a weekly basis by employers who are starving for people … teachers, health care workers, behavioral workers, those in the supply chain, food industry, technologies. We are here, and we are ready. We have the programs. But we need a greater degree of support from our state.”

Greenstein added that even with the added dollars, it won’t be sufficient to stem the loss of students who come from households earning less than $75,000 per year.

Lawmakers would be wise not to let this infusion of money be a one-off event. The PASSHE has pointed out its campuses have had a $4 billion economic impact on the commonwealth. That’s $8.30 for every dollar Harrisburg invests. That’s a pretty good return.

The increased funding for higher education is a good first step. Let’s hope it’s the first of many.