PITTSBURGH — The fallout continues after a Westmoreland County lawmaker attacked the state’s financial relationship with Pitt, Penn State and Temple. These major universities are now pushing back.
According to our partners at TribLIVE.com, state Rep. Eric Nelson, R-Hempfield, said he had “ethical” issues with the state spending about $580 million to support the three powerhouse research universities. Nelson said this money comes as the universities are also competing against the 14 state-owned universities along with a number of private colleges and universities.
Should Pennsylvania create a “PA College Voucher Program” to directly fund students and let them decide where they want to invest that money OR continue to send $580 Million exclusively to Pitt, Penn State and Temple? Today, I participated in a joint hearing of the House Education and Appropriations committees to discuss higher education funding and this complex issue. Pennsylvania sends more than $581 million to Pitt, Penn State and Temple, commonly called state-related universities, while we fund the 14 schools that make up the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE) with $477 million. Private colleges like Duquesne, CMU, Saint Vincent and Seton Hill do not receive taxpayer dollars for their PA students. I am currently working on a bill to address this issue by shifting funding from state-related schools and instead directly send dollars to students to use at a variety of colleges to include 4-year, 2-year and trade schools as well as community colleges.
Posted by PA State Rep. Eric Nelson on Monday, October 4, 2021
Nelson wants to take the money away from the three major universities and direct it into a voucher program for students. He said by rerouting the money, more than 124,000 low- and middle-income students could benefit from financial aid.
Pitt defended the state money, saying such a plan would be disastrous for the thousands of state residents who enroll at the university. University officials said the money - nearly $155 million this year - was used for a $15,000-a-year discount on tuition.
Officials at Penn State and Temple had similar responses to Pitt’s, saying the money allows for a cheaper rate for Pennsylvania residents.
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