Budget

Fast Facts

  • On Feb. 7, Gov. Tom Corbett revealed his 2012-13 state budget proposal, which would cut funding for Pennsylvania's 14 state-owned universities by 20 percent, or $82.5 million.
  • The governor's proposed budget allocates $330 million to the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education -- a loss of nearly $175 million since Corbett took office.
  • Corbett's proposal would put funding for the State System below 1989-90 levels.
  • Cuts to higher education in Corbett's plan would total more than $260 million, including cuts to the State System, the state-related universities, community colleges and the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency.

Legislative Assembly Resolution

On Feb. 11, 2012, the APSCUF Legislative Assembly unanimously approved the following resolution:

  • WHEREAS, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania has demonstrated decreasing commitment to public higher education for years; and
  • WHEREAS, on top of that already shrinking support, Governor Corbett and the legislature were responsible for a 19 percent reduction in our allocation for 2011-12; and
  • WHEREAS, the budget cuts are already having strong impacts on students ranging from increased tuition and fees, to increased class sizes, to increased time to graduation, to decreased access to advising, to decreasing morale; and
  • WHEREAS, the budget cuts are strongly affecting faculty in terms of retrenchments and a decreasing faculty complement, the inability to negotiate a reasonable contract, pushes for changes in teaching conditions that are unsound on both pedagogical and curricular levels; and
  • WHEREAS, given the already critical budget situation, the Governor’s proposed budget cut to the system for next year fundamentally threatens the viability of the system;
  • Therefore be it resolved that the APSCUF Legislative Assembly urges all members to refuse to vote in November 2012 for any legislator who votes for a budget including any reduction to the PASSHE allocation.

Take Action

Want to get involved and support higher education and the future of Pennsylvania's 14 state-owned universities? Learn how here.