Administrators, staff and students from state universities and public schools across Pennsylvania are holding their breath as state legislators negotiate a budget for the commonwealth.
The Board of Governors of Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education (PASSHE) were forced to take action over the summer to increase funding for its 14 universities because the general assembly has yet to increase funding.
PASSHE voted in favor of increasing tuition costs for the 2015-16 academic year, according to PASSHE.
The approval came on July 9, less than two months before the start of Shippensburg University’s fall semester.
Though tuition is being raised by $240 for the current academic year, PASSHE still requires about $30 million in either state support or budget cuts. The state system continues to strive for Pennsylvania’s legislators to provide more funding to close the deficit.
“Even with the modest tuition increase we approved today, the universities still would need to make significant budget cuts without any increased funding from the state again,” said Guido Pichini, the chairman of Board of Governors.
“We will continue to talk with the governor and the legislature to seek their support on behalf of our students and their families.”
Since the 2007-08 academic year, state legislators cut more than $65 million in appropriations for PASSHE.
SU, like the other 13 state schools, will have to continue to cut its budget in order to close the deficit in the coming academic year unless the legislature votes to increase funding to PASSHE.
Though tuition prices will increase, state system schools will still be the cheapest in the state, according to PASSHE.
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