February 08, 2016

Chancellor, Board of Governors support more funding for State System

Contact: Kevin Hensil, khensil@passhe.edu

Harrisburg – Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education Chancellor Frank T. Brogan and state Sen. Judith Schwank, representing the Board of Governors, joined with several hundred students and faculty today to call for increased funding for the State System.

“The State System is unique in Pennsylvania,” Mr. Brogan said during a rally held in the Capitol Rotunda. “It is our mission—by design—to offer access to higher education that is both high quality and high value. We do that in partnership with the Commonwealth, and we need its support.

“As we move deeper into the 21st century, it’s time to reinvest in the State System; to reinvest in our students. Thankfully, both the Governor and the General Assembly signaled their support this past year for reinvesting in the State System, and we all are grateful for that. Now, we must move forward, to see that support turned into reality.”

Mr. Brogan encouraged the students who traveled from across the state to participate in the rally to talk with legislators about how important the education they are receiving is to them and their families.

Sen. Schwank, who represented the Board of Governors at the event, also urged students to make sure their voices are heard while in Harrisburg and talked about the many contributions the 14 State System universities make to the Commonwealth in return for the funding they receive.

“There are a lot of things we spend money on in state government,” Sen. Schwank said. “Very few generate the kind of return on investment the State System does. Our State System universities make a tremendous contribution to the Commonwealth; a fact that was confirmed by last year’s economic impact study that showed the System, as a whole, generates an annual economic impact across Pennsylvania of $6.7 billion.

“In the simplest terms, the State System produces nearly $11 of economic activity for every $1 invested by the Commonwealth through its annual appropriation. I’m sure we all would be very happy if we could get that kind of return on every state dollar we spend.”

Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education is the largest provider of higher education in the Commonwealth, with about 107,000 degree-seeking students and thousands more who are enrolled in certificate and other career-development programs. Collectively, the 14 universities that comprise the State System offer more than 2,300 degree and certificate programs in more than 530 academic areas. Nearly 520,000 State System university alumni live in Pennsylvania.

The State System universities are Bloomsburg, California, Cheyney, Clarion, East Stroudsburg, Edinboro, Indiana, Kutztown, Lock Haven, Mansfield, Millersville, Shippensburg, Slippery Rock and West Chester Universities of Pennsylvania. The universities also operate branch campuses in Oil City (Clarion), Freeport and Punxsutawney (IUP), and Clearfield (Lock Haven), and offer classes and programs at several regional centers, including the Dixon University Center in Harrisburg and in Center City in Philadelphia.