PA State Schools Get 13% Cut in Education Budget

It is only July but college students in the state of Pennsylvania are already talking about the fall semester and for all the wrong reasons. Over the last month, Governor Ed Rendell and his administration have proposed the next year's spending plan for higher education. On the bright side, 14 of the 18 universities in Pennsylvania's State System of Higher Education would remain steady thanks to federal stimulus dollars. However, the following 4 state universities would all see cuts of almost 18% each: Penn State University, Temple University, Lincoln University, and the University of Pittsburgh.

The crazy thing about it all is that, if you are familiar with the financial aid process, the majority of students already have had their financial aid packages figured out for the upcoming year. However, now the state is deciding to throw all of these students a curve to see how quickly they can think on their feet to find funding for school. Of the 4 universities that will see cuts, Penn State, Temple, and Pitt are the top 3 schools in the state with the highest enrollment. That is a real big middle finger to a ton of students in this state.

This hit home with me big time because my brother is entering his second year at Temple University. While he is lucky that most of his tuition is covered, he is still a little worried of how he is going to come up with the remaining amount of tuition for the rest of the year. Many students are in similar situations where their parents can only contribute so much, if anything. Hopefully more on campus part-time jobs will be offered to students to help give them an opportunity to make some more cash because every little thing counts.

I am sure the state of Pennsylvania is not the only state experiencing this but being the state of my residence I had to shed some light on it. I myself attended school here, but I was the genius that chose Drexel University, where I paid over $20,000+ per year to a private institution to hand me my degree after the planned 5 year program. I really do think the entire higher education system in this country is a sham. Other countries have different tax structures that make college more affordable, so that idea seems unfeasible. I really wish their were more alternatives or ways to change the system to make it more affordable. Otherwise, more students may end up graduating college with $80,000+ in student loans. Do yourself a favor and marry someone from a different country when you finish high school.