Yes…maybe a loophole is the correct description but it will allow the legislature an avenue to do what they want to do
If the schools leave the PASSHE system, then I don’t think tuition will be lower. They will receive a smaller percentage of funding from the state as state-related. But they will then be able to set tuition rates themselves.
What is DUS? I know someone who is on hold at some PASSHE schools, but she needs to take summer session if she wants be considered… Is this the same thing? She is in Track 3 (track below college prep) at our high school.
Actually I have head that some of the adjunct profs teach at both Montco (community college) and PSU Abington. So, what are you paying extra for?
I also think that if those other schools do leave and become state-related, my guess is that there will be a lead time of notfication before the change-over. Something like 4 years (just a guess)?
I would not necessarily be opposed to a shift over to PSU and state related with fewer PASSHE schools and more “specialized” PASSHE schools if the costs were the same as PASSHE. I guess you could keep the brand and prestege The problem is that they are not close in cost and wont be.
Penn State DUS…https://dus.psu.edu/
@guidedbywire :
Public higher education means universities funded by the state, IE., state residents, for state residents ’ children and the state’s economic needs as well as its ‘soft power’ (brand, aura, public image, international recognition. )
In Pennsylvania, which university is primarily funded by the state?
The state system (PASSHE) is in decline because of lack of funding. It is what other states call public directionals.
The flagships are already not state supported but ‘state related’, a euphemism to mean the star doesn’t feel the duty to fund it for its residents.
Therefore, closing public directional, poorly funding the others, and creating 'public-adjacent ’ IE., not public, universities, means the Pennsylvania state legislature has public education at the bottom of its priority list at best and at worst has given up on public higher education, content with a handful of poorly funded directionals and the most expensive “public” (state related) universities in the country, claiming tuition is no problem.
I don’t understand why the people of Pennsylvania don’t have a problem with it.
Many of the PASSHE facilities are major farily large campuses, many with new buildings. Not sure how you can just close them, Even with student declines, there is going to be an under-utilization of these.
Earlier in the thread, we discussed the success and ranking of Cal U of PA’s online program. I see so much potential in this, especially for gen-ed type classes coupled with a transfer into a brick and mortar college (PASSHE or other). So many kids struggle with the transition out of HS, not knowing what they are going to do next, are not happy with the community college options, uncertain about the costs of school and life in general (like transportation) and how it will impact their family. If PASSHE could champion and OWN this process I think it would be a great option. Like try and be the best in the nation! Of course, you would likely have reductions in other areas and staff which would be hard to swallow for many schools.
Interesting information on IUP and the downward drift in enrollment. One interesting quote regarding the new suite style dorms is as follows:
“The end goal is to make housing more affordable for students,” Lauber said in a March 7 interview in her Sutton Hall office. “But we’ve had to raise the pricing of suite-style rooms 2-3 percent every year due to empty bedrooms.”
Soooo…they have empty rooms and they raise the price? Supply and demand? Say what? Should the price not come down if they have empty bedrooms? Add this to the price per credit trick with tuition and you really get as university in trouble.
http://triblive.com/news/adminpage/7617622-74/per-plan-rate
So, the “foundation” owns the dorms? I know the affiliated dorms at West Chester are owned by an outside company, and most of the PASSHE schools have these new types. In some cases it is the only option, like Millersville, For some schools the new dorm is only half-finished, like at East Stroudsburg. I think they have gone overboard with trying to compete on amenities without looking ahead. Fine if you can do this with endowment money. If you need to double the cost to students, something is wrong.
Refinancing the mortgages on these dorms is not going to work either. The Fed is about to announce another interest rate hike.
Reminds me of the situation in my home area - huge influx of people back during the boom years, resulting in schools building a ton of new facilities. The recession happened, then people started walking away from their homes. Schools have closed here because the enrollment dropped like a rock. But the districts still have the loan servicing, so those of us who remain have seen our taxes go up, even though some of the buildings are not being used. Nobody wants to move here because the taxes keep going up.
Pennsylvania appropriated $455 million to PASSHE for 2016-17. For next year the governor’s budget included a $9 million increase (a drop in the bucket to be sure). And I believe the Commonwealth owns the buildings and capital assets of the PASSHE system. Pennsylvania funds PASSHE, technically.
The question you are trying to raise is “does Pennsylvania fund PASSHE adequately”? I think most people, including me, would say the answer to this question is No.
Now you’re adding “primarily”. Which similar-level public institutions get the majority of their funding from a state appropriation? The ones I tried to find all came it at between 1/5 and 1/3 state support.
IUP: FY15-16 total revenue: $163M, tuition revenue $108.8M, state funding $54.3M (~33%) http://www.iup.edu/WorkArea/DownloadAsset.aspx?id=88224
Akron: FY15 total revenue: $399M, tuition revenue $220.7M, state funding $99M (~25%) https://www.uakron.edu/budget/docs/ernst-and-young-report.pdf (page 20)
Western Illinois: FY15 total revenue $244M, tuition revenue $75.7M, state funding $52.1M (~21%) http://www.wiu.edu/Budget/budget_pdfs/FY2015%20All%20Funds%20Budget.pdf
U of N Florida: FY15 total revenue $288M, tuition & fees revenue $69M, state funding (general + lottery) $$96.7M (~33%) https://www.unf.edu/uploadedFiles/anf/budget/2015-16%20Operating%20Budget%20All%20funds.pdf
I agree. For IUP, would I like to see the tuition and state funding numbers above reversed? Absolutely, I would be thrilled. Same for all the PASSHE schools.
I agree that Pennsylvania’s support of its public education systems (both state-owned and state-related) is abysmal and embarrassing.
But to write that PA “officially decided not to have public higher education in the State” and that “the state washing its hands from budgeting, tuition hikes, financial aid, state grants, etc” is a bit misleading on a site where students come to seek out information on educational choices. State PHEAA grants could also be increased rather than kept flat in the governor’s 2017-18 proposed budget. Does that mean the state is abandoning them altogether, or planning to zero them out? No, of course not. There’s no evidence to suggest that’s going to happen in either the near or distant future. That’s why I said the picture you painted was hyperbolic.
There’s enough real problems with state funding and higher education here; there’s no need to make up ones that don’t exist yet.
I personally have a huge problem with it, and I believe many of the people of Pennsylvania do as well.
^Okay, I get what you meant, but I still don’t think the overarching picture is hyperbolic. The PA state legislature is preparing people for a highly reduced public higher education system with high tuition and/or little affordability. Sure, the students who come here looking for information should know most PASSHE schools are likely to still be in existence 4 years from now, but the concerns remain valid overall. There’s a real problem specific to Pennsylvania.
An issue your numbers make clear is poor funding resulting in tuition reliance at levels not found at other directionals.
The one thing I never see mentioned in any article, never discussed by any politician or even discussed at work is the challenges caused by the state related branch campuses. Why is a study not done on these mostly expensive community colleges…Penn State has 24 campuses, Pitt 5- really? Why are the PASSHE schools always taking the brunt of the complaints(Professors make too much, Rural, no necessary and so on)? What is their mission as a “State-related” Institution? We know they are more likely to give a spot to a borderline non resident student compared to a borderline resident student due to the increase revenue from the non…this needs to be closely looked at. Why do they get a free pass?
@bester1 I totally agree. In a way the proliferation of these branch campuses gives politicians a way out. How are the enrollment numbers at the branches? Unless they are facing the cost of college personally, it is probably difficult for politicians to see the difference between 10K in tuition (PASSHE) and 16K in tuition (branch campus).
Review could help universities article…
http://www.dailyitem.com/opinion/timely-review-could-help-universities/article_292e2e1b-b265-5e83-b08a-265916d9d873.html
I just wish one article would mention and discuss the decrease in funding over the years. They cut the funding when the times were good and that falls on former politicians that could not see beyond their own term in office.
I agree, the number of PSU Branches, many of which are equivalent to CC’s, must be considered alongside decline in state funding. The branches shouldn’t be “state-related”, but state funded, and cheaper.
Side question - does anyone know if other PASSHE schools other than Cal U offer full BA or BS degrees online? I looked at a few and most offer Masters or certificates online, but not many have Bachelors.
Also, just noticed that ESU is now test optional, except for a few majors and/or to be considered for some scholarships. Is this good or bad? Not sure.
Seeing that they don’t give much merit anyway (which is where test scores really matter IMO), I can see this as an interesting option for many students with mediocre scores.
http://www.esu.edu/admissions/undergraduate/apply/freshman/test_optional.cfm
@Portercat I haven’t looked into details but https://www.usnews.com/education/online-education/bachelors indicates California, Slippery Rock, Clarion, and Millersville have online programs. Not PASSHE, but Temple and Penn State do to.