Affordable College Now! rally in Harrisburg, Pa.
Monday, Sept. 28, 2026 • Front of the Pennsylvania Capitol
We stood 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.
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.
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See the rally (streamed video and photos)
Keep spreading the word: Social media and flyers
Press coverage
Talking points
Getting ready for the rally
Rights, safety, and accessibility
Feedback form
Printables
See the rally
Watch the full rally:
View rally photos:
Click here to view photos from State APSCUF.
Click here to view photos from Choice Visual.
Click here to view photos from Meade Photography.
Press coverage
Click here to read the rally press release.
Students and faculty advocate for higher education at Harrisburg rally —The Penn, Sept. 30, 2026
Democrats push Pennsylvania Promise as budget fight looms —Capitol Wire, Sept. 28, 2026
Advocates rally at Capitol for a boost in Pennsylvania higher education funding —Fox43, Sept. 28, 2026
“Affordable College Now” rally at the state Capitol —Fox43, Sept. 28, 2026
Advocates rally at Pennsylvania capitol for affordable college funding —Fox43, Sept. 28, 2026
APSCUF to rally at Capitol on Monday —WCCS, Sept. 27, 2026
Affordable College Now Rally set for 9/28 —The Quad, Sept. 21, 2026
SGA: Senators hear about rally for higher education, swear in two new members —The Penn, Sept. 18, 2026
SRSGA Meeting Summary 8/31/26, 9/14/26 —The Rocket, Sept. 17, 2026
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 did students, faculty, coaches, staff, alumni, and other supporters travel 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
Getting ready for the rally
View this post on Instagram
Rights, safety, and accessibility
- Know Your Rights at a Protest
- Nonemergency number for Capitol Police: 717-787-3199. Emergency: 911
- Know Your Rights Guide: Academic Freedom and Campus Free Speech for Scholars and Students on Visas
- Safety, parking, and accessibility at the Pennsylvania Capitol
Share your feedback:
Share your feedback 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.
Printable flyers, posters, and signs
Although the rally is over, you can still download a flyer (8.5-by-11 inches, letter size) or poster (11-by-17 inches, tabloid size) to save as a souvenir.
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.
Letter size (8.5 by 11 inches) rally signs
Affordable College Now!
Pass the Pennsylvania Promise
15% more funding for public higher ed
Tabloid size (11 by 17 inches) rally signs
Affordable College Now!
Pass the Pennsylvania Promise
15% more funding for public higher ed
Questions?
Email .
Keep spreading the word: Social media
We’d love to hear why you came to the rally and about your experience. Share your public post using #AffordableCollegeNow and/or email a link to .
Rally revisited