EDUCATION

Pennsylvania's State System of Higher Education seeks $72.5M increase in appropriation for 2022-23

Valerie Myers
Erie Times-News

Pennsylvania's State System of Higher Education will ask for $550 million in state funding for 2022-23.

That's $72.5 million more than the $477.5 million appropriation it received in both 2020-21 and 2021-22.

PASSHE's Board of Governors approved the appropriation request during its quarterly meeting at Millersville University in Lancaster on Thursday.

Pennsylvania's 14 state-owned universities are doing their part to cut costs but need more state support to expand student opportunities, improve student success and reduce student costs, Chancellor Daniel Greenstein told governors.

Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education Chancellor Daniel Greenstein

Costs system-wide this year are down $173 million through June 22, Greenstein said. Cost-cutting measures have included reducing faculty by 13% and other staff by 10% since 2019. PASSHE also is redesigning itself for greater operational and financial efficiency. As part of that effort, it will consolidate six universities into two next year, including Edinboro, Clarion and California universities as Pennsylvania Western University.

University consolidation approved:Edinboro, Clarion and California universities will become one institution

But student costs aren't going down, and that's contributing both to declining enrollment and to workforce shortages statewide, Greenstein said.

"The real problem Pennsylvania is facing — and the Pennsylvania State System (of Higher Education) is simply part of that problem — is that we're pricing too many people out of the higher education they need, that Pennsylvania needs them to have, in order to keep the lights on in our economy," he said.

Total cost at Pennsylvania's state-owned universities, including tuition, fees and room and board, increased 62.4% from 2009-10 to 2018-19.

University by any other name:Edinboro University to be known as Pennsylvania Western University at Edinboro

PASSHE has frozen tuition for the past three years, which has helped students but cost the university system about $60 million, Greenstein said. PASSHE also has spent $160 million annually on financial aid for students.

And still enrollment continues to drop, to fewer than 89,000 students this fall, the lowest level in more than three decades, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported. Enrollment peaked at about 119,500 students in 2010.

The declining enrollment is partly due to the ongoing pandemic and to a continuing regional and national decline in the number of recent high school graduates. To reverse the decline, universities must attract more minority, rural and adult students and reduce student costs, Greenstein said.

Working together:PASSHE chancellor says universities, community colleges must cooperate to serve students

And that will benefit Pennsylvania employers and the Pennsylvania economy, he said.

"The problem today is severe. Fifty percent of adults have some higher education, and 60% of our jobs require it. We've got a big gap there, and it's getting bigger," Greenstein said.

Studies estimate that Pennsylvania employers will need an additional 2,000 workers with bachelor's degrees and an additional 1,200 workers with master's degrees each year through 2039. PASSHE schools can help provide those employees, Greenstein said.

"But our success doing that will require significant additional investment from the state," he said.

Pennsylvania ranks 46th in funding for state-owned universities, ninth in student cost and second in average student debt, Greenstein said.

"As the state's investment declines (or remains flat), tuition and room and board fees go up and the level of student debt also goes up," he said. "We're basically pricing our people out of higher education. And as a consequence, Pennsylvania enrollment in higher education falls farther and farther behind."

The Associated Press contributed to this story.

Contact Valerie Myers at vmyers@timesnews.com. Follow her on Twitter@ETNmyers.