The Pa. House again rejected $650M for in-state tuition discounts at Pitt, Penn State, and Temple
The House on Thursday rejected a bill that bundled funding for all four universities into one; it failed by just six votes. They’ll vote on it again in the future.
HARRISBURG — For a second time this year, House Republicans on Thursday blocked the state from sending hundreds of millions of dollars to Pennsylvania’s four state-related universities, in hopes that they can acquire greater oversight of each school’s tuition increases, public records, and more.
Pennsylvania appropriates nearly $650 million in total each year to its four state-related universities: the University of Pittsburgh, Penn State, Temple, and Lincoln. These funds allow the quasi-public institutions to offer in-state tuition discounts to Pennsylvania residents.
Both the state House and Senate must approve the annual funding for state-related universities by a two-thirds vote. Funding bills failed in the House last month, when state Republicans opposed a bill that bundled all four schools in one, and individual funding bills for Pitt and Temple.
The House on Thursday night rejected a bill that bundled funding for all four universities into one by just six votes. In the floor debate, House Republicans focused on the specific oversight measures they think the schools need if they are to receive funding, and they cheered when the bill failed.
House Democrats, for their part, urged their colleagues to drop whatever qualms they have with individual universities to make sure students get their in-state tuition discount and a quality higher education.
Rep. Donna Bullock (D., Philadelphia) highlighted Temple founder Russell Conwell’s famous “Acres of Diamonds” speech, in which a man searches for riches, only to realize they were in his backyard.
“We have diamonds in our own backyard, right here in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and we are refusing to invest in those diamonds,” Bullock said. “We’re failing to invest in our children and our young people.”
In late June, House Republicans offered a smattering of reasons for wanting to block funding. Some opposition came from members of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, who oppose sending state funds to Pitt and Penn State over small portions of the research the schools conduct and medical care they provide.
But on Thursday, GOP opponents cited three major concerns: that the universities are not subject to the state’s open records laws, that state funding should only be used for in-state tuition discounts, and that the schools continue to raise tuition despite the state funding.
Pitt, Penn State, and Temple have steadily increased tuition each year, despite their steady allocations from the state. Some Republicans argued state funding should incentivize institutions to not raise tuition.
“We are bankrupting students and families while we have given record levels of funding to these institutions,” said Rep. Dawn Keefer (R., York). “Yet the tuition continues to rise beyond any students’ ability to pay that debt.”
Rep. Dan Frankel (D., Allegheny) said he’s proud Pitt is one of the nation’s top research universities, but the state’s annual appropriation is really intended to make these universities more affordable to in-state students.
“It’s incredulous that anyone would add any more of a burden to paying for students’ education,” Frankel said. “This should not be a difficult decision.”
House Appropriations Chair Rep. Jordan Harris (D., Philadelphia) said it was a simple decision on direct dollars for students.
“Facts are facts. You either support the money, or you don’t,” Harris said.
House lawmakers promised to vote for a third time on the issue, but it’s unclear when that might happen as the chamber prepares for its summer recess. House Minority Leader Bryan Cutler (R., Lancaster) emphasized that his caucus wanted to find common ground on public records requests and how the universities spend state money.
“The elevator of opportunity out of poverty not only needs maintenance,” Cutler said about each school’s mission, “it needs a shaft to run in, and it also needs some guardrails to make sure it hits each floor.”
DaniRae Renno is an intern with the Pennsylvania Legislative Correspondents’ Association.