Affordable College Now! rally in Harrisburg, Pa.
Monday, Sept. 28, 2026 • beginning promptly at noon on the front steps of the Pennsylvania Capitol
We are standing together to advocate for a 15% increase in funding for public higher education in Pennsylvania, for the Pennsylvania Promise plan to make college more affordable, and for other higher-education and labor issues.
All Affordable College Now! attendees are invited to a pre-rally Zoom call 6-7 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 22, during which we will go over event details and answer questions. If you have RSVPed, you will receive a Zoom link the day of the meeting. Please mark your calendar now.
Rally partners: AAUP, AFSCME Council 13, AFT, AFTPA, AFT Local 2067- CCAC, APSCUF, Emergency Campaign to Support Higher Education, FSFCCP, Federation of Reading Area Community College, HELU, IBT Local 8, MCCC Faculty Federation, PA-AAUP, PA AFL-CIO, PSEA, SEIU 668, TAUP, TUGSA, USW District 10, USW Local 1511
Click here to read the press release.
This page will be updated, as the rally approaches.
Jump to a section:
RSVP
Spread the word: Social media and flyers
What to wear
Signs for the rally
Parking and food
Press coverage
Talking points
More resources
RSVP here:
RSVP using the form below. Make sure to press “submit” at the end of the form. Device users: If you do not see the “submit” button right away, scroll over the survey itself, and the button should appear.
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Social media
Spread the word by using #AffordableCollegeNow.
- Facebook event: https://www.facebook.com/share/1BvXSPn5ao/
- Instagram post: https://www.instagram.com/p/DavXCXaEuvZ/?hl=en
- Bluesky post: https://bsky.app/profile/apscuf.org/post/3mqk4yfaucc2q
- Twitter/X post: https://x.com/APSCUF/status/2076708350851424642
Click on the images below and right-click to download social-media graphics:
Portrait graphic
Square graphic
Profile photo
Printable flyers and posters
Download a flyer (8.5-by-11 inches, letter size) or poster (11-by-17 inches, tabloid size) to print and post. Make sure you follow the sign policies of your campus or other venues where you are posting them.
Click here to download a PDF of the 8.5-by-11-inch, letter-size flyer.
Click here to download a PDF of the 11-by-17-inch, tabloid size poster.
Click here to download a PDF of an 8.5-by-11-inch, letter-size flyer geared toward students.
Click here to download a PDF of an 8.5-by-11-inch, letter-size flyer listing event speakers.
Need another format? Email .
What to wear
We’d love to see the labor unions and colleges/universities represented. (APSCUF members, contact your chapter office or order your own APSCUF gear here.)
The event will take place rain or shine. If there’s precipitation in the forecast, bring a poncho, umbrella (Please consider your wingspan and others standing around you.), and/or other rain gear. Please also plan to protect yourself from the sun and wear sunscreen.
Signs for the rally
Sign basics
While the rally is outside, we do not recommend adding sticks to your rally signs; if you chose to enter the Capitol before or after the rally, your sign will not be permitted. (Signs on handsticks or poles are prohibited in the interior public areas of the Capitol complex, per the PA Code Chapter 86.)
Plan to take your sign with you after the rally. Do not leave it on the steps or in the Capitol. Please also be considerate of how much space it will take up in a trashcan. Why not take it with you and save it for your next rally?
Making your signs
Handmade signs and posters are great; in fact, we prefer them.
Budget — You can make an impressive, eye-catching sign without spending a lot. Repurpose one side of an old cardboard box. Buy posterboard at a dollar store (which you can cut it in half or quarters to make more than one sign). Markers or paint will cost you another few dollars. Share those supplies with a friend for extra savings.
Friendly — The more, the merrier. A poster-making party is a great way to bond with classmates and colleagues and to make new friends. (Make sure everyone who creates a poster also attends the rally.) RSVP for bus information.
Clean — Your posters will be seen and photographed by attendees and the media. Keep them classy. Stumped about what to write on you poster? Expand the section below for slogan ideas.
Sign ideas
Stumped about what to write? Here are some ideas:
Affordable College Now!
15%
Fund our future
Pass the PA Promise
It’s time for the PA Promise
Flat funding is a cut
Education is not a luxury. It’s a necessity.
Education is an investment in US
Higher education helps us all
Education should not be a debt sentence
Get 15% done
Get PA Promise done
If you think education is expensive, try ignorance
Invest in us. Invest in PA.
Printables
We strongly encourage handmade signs, but if you absolutely cannot make your own, here are a few printable options in 8.5-by-11-inch and 11-by-17-inch options. Click the links to download PDFs.
Letter size (8.5 by 11 inches)
Affordable College Now!
Pass the Pennsylvania Promise
15% more funding for public higher ed
Tabloid size (11 by 17 inches)
Affordable College Now!
Pass the Pennsylvania Promise
15% more funding for public higher ed
Parking and food
Buses will depart Monday morning from all 14 State System campuses and several other locations. RSVP to receive information about buses. If you’re driving on your own, click here for directions and parking information, and click here for even more parking information.
Lunch will not be provided, but the Capitol and surrounding area offer dining options. Click here for information.
Press coverage
Click here to read the rally press release.
APSCUF Vice President Dr. Kara Laskowski discusses the rally on an episode of “Behind the Headlines”:
APSCUF Secretary Patrick McGinty discusses the rallly on “The Rick Smith Show” (starting at at 38:05)
Talking points
Why are students, faculty, coaches, staff, alumni, and other supporters coming to Harrisburg for this rally?
We are asking Pennsylvania lawmakers to:
- Increase funding for public higher education in Pennsylvania by 15%
- Pass the Pennsylvania Promise plan to make college more affordable
Why does higher-education funding need to increase?
- For decades, governors and the legislature have underfunded public higher education in Pennsylvania
- The Commonwealth falls at or near the bottom of U.S. rankings for higher-education investment, college affordability, and student debt. For years, U.S. News and World Report has ranked Pennsylvania 50th in higher education — not for quality but for cost and student debt.
- Meanwhile, the cost for students has grown, forcing many students to work multiple jobs and still not having enough to pay for housing, food, tuition, and other expenses. That also leaves them with less time for study, complete coursework, and sleep.
- Pennsylvania ranks near the top for college tuition and for student debt among recent graduating classes.
- Average PA student owes $39,000 in student debt.
- About 64% of Pennsylvania students carry student-loan debt.
- More about student debt in Pennsylvania (from the Keystone Research Center)
- Institutions have cut back course and degree offerings — at Penn State, in the State System, at Temple University, and more.
Not all Pennsylvanians want or need to go to college, so why does higher education need more state support?
- The benefits of higher education reach beyond the students who obtain the degrees. Graduates go on to become educators, healthcare providers, and so many other professionals who help our Commonwealth thrive.
- Graduates of our state-owned universities typically stay in the Commonwealth, contributing to the economy. When they are saddled with crushing debt, they cannot contribute to the economy as strongly. They also put off starting families and other milestones that other generations were able to access more easily.
- Everyone deserves the opportunity to pursue higher education without being crushed by debt.
Why do we need the Pennsylvania Promise?
- The Pennsylvania Promise program would be a statewide, last-dollar promise program in the Commonwealth that would remove financial burdens for students and their families. The program would make college more affordable and lessen student debt for future generations. The program would cover tuition and fees for qualifying students as well as room and board for the most at-need students who attend a public university or community college.
- Qualifying students could use their grants at:
- A Pennsylvania community college
- A state-owned (PASSHE) institution
- A state-related institution (using PASSHE tuition rate)
- Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology
- Students attending private colleges in Pennsylvania
- The PA Promise has bipartisan support:
- Read more:
- Keystone Research Center’s 2026 PA Promise report
- The Pennsylvania Promise bill passed the Pennsylvania House in June. Visit https://www.papromise.org/about to read more about the plan.
Further reading
- AFT/AAUP Higher Education: Savings Lives, Building Futures, Powering the Economy
- Talking points: Higher Ed Research Saves Lives
- Talking points: How Cuts to Basic-Needs Programs Affect College Students and Employees
- Fact sheet: Congress’ Reconciliation Bill Will Make Higher Education Less Affordable and Accessible for Pennsylvania Students
- How the ‘big, beautiful bill’ harms higher education
- Increased costs and decreased protections
- Defending Higher Education in 2025
- Video playlist: Higher Education: Saving Lives, Building Futures, Powering the Economy
Questions?
Email .
Spread the word: Social media and flyers
We’d love to hear why you’re coming to the rally. Share your public post using #AffordableCollegeNow and/or email a link to .