@ portercat and laralei…
Really thought the pouring a little gravel in the sink hole every year was an analogy that was spot on.
Tuition…they really also danced around the schools that charge extra for any credit over 12…which is a trick pony. With fees…you are up to 11.5 K…no doubt.
They use Penn State as a comparison…but that thought evokes University Park when in fact 1/2 of the population is at the 24 Branch campus’s.
Check out the last line of the mission statement…from the trustee handbook…
Mission
As established by the founding legislation, Act 188 of 1982, the primary mission of the State
System “…is the provision of instruction for undergraduate and graduate students to and
beyond the master’s degree in the liberal arts and sciences, and in the applied fields, including
the teaching profession.” While the universities share a common mission, each also embraces
specific missions in business, human services, public administration and/or technology.
Additionally, the purpose of the System “…shall be to provide high quality education at the
lowest possible cost to students.”
http://www.passhe.edu/PACT/Documents/TrusteeHandbook2015.pdf
I did not see every attempt during that meeting today…what I saw/heard was, let’s just raise tuition 3.5% and it will still be less than Penn State.
The Consultant did a good job of outlining the problems, not enough revenue and risk of pricing yourself outside of the market with higher tuition (already happening!, fleeing to other states). He also mentioned that these schools are supposed to deliver education, not jobs.
HOWEVER, I think the recommendations REALLY fell short, and no good evidence that they would solve anything?
-You need to be more collaborative - duh!
-You need to restructure the board of governors. OK (and I could hear some of them squirming), but how will that solve anything?
No mergers, no closures, some tweaking of programs at struggling institutions. I cant imagine that these changes are going to help much, at all! I’m very disappointed.
--------and what was with the woman in the back on her phone the whole time (real engaged), and the dude popping pills on the microphone?---------
19 PASSHE Board Members…
3 have degrees from a PASSHE school(mostly 1st generation college students)
Brunson - BS - Cheyney
Hanna - Lock Haven (unknown)
Rivera -MS - Cheyney
http://www.passhe.edu/inside/bog/Pages/Board-Members.aspx
These are the people making the decisions about higher education in PA. PASSHE is mostly mid/lower income with many, many 1st generation college students.
Mission…shall be to provide high quality education at the
lowest possible cost to students.”
PASSHE has answer to closing budget gap: Raise tuition…
http://www.pennlive.com/politics/index.ssf/2017/07/passhe_expects_tuition_increas.html
PASSHE report: Don’t close any colleges, improve leadership…
http://www.mcall.com/news/nationworld/pennsylvania/mc-nws-passhe-university-campus-release-20170712-story.html
best comment on one of the articles:
“After spending a great deal of money, the recommendations presented are nothing more than common sense suggestions which will be very easy for those in power to ignore. Creating a higher education czar is ludicrous. Isn’t that the job of the chancellor, who, by the way, gets paid more than the governor.”
No closures, mergers recommended for Pa. state colleges…
http://www.philly.com/philly/education/no-closures-mergers-recommended-for-pa-state-colleges-20170712.html?mobi=true
No Closings, Mergers Recommended for State-Owned Colleges…
https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/pennsylvania/articles/2017-07-12/no-closings-mergers-recommended-for-state-owned-colleges
Consultant releases cost-cutting tips for Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education…
http://www.dailyitem.com/news/local_news/consultant-releases-cost-cutting-tips-for-pennsylvania-state-system-of/article_eeae0f60-c1d6-521b-8291-a73f86013263.html
Consultant recommends collaboration for Pennsylvania state schools’ survival…
http://triblive.com/news/education/12501681-74/consultant-recommends-collaboration-for-pennsylvania-state-schools-survival
Consultant recommends revamp of Pennsylvania’s state university system, but no closures…
http://www.pennlive.com/news/2017/07/consultant_recommends_shrinkag.html#incart_river_index
I tried to watch the meeting this morning but it was delayed…when it came on…Brogan was lecturing some group…Interesting…I am surprised they paid $400,000 for this report that did not even look at the state as a whole…and with their budget shortfall the recommendation was to increase tuition…thats it
It upsets me when they compare the increases between Penn State and the Passhe Schools. PSU is state related and why it receives as much funding is in question. Also, I would like to know what the average household income is of PSU students compared to the Passhe student.
Motion carried (yes vote) for tuition increase. At least the student rep spoke up to say that this was a one year fix only!
PASSHE, keep kicking the can down the road and some maybe pixies may come along to magically solve your problems!
@bester1 From one of the articles posted above regarding our PA state system: " About half of its students come from families with $48,000 or less in annual household income."
Per this article:
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/projects/college-mobility/pennsylvania-state-university
The median family income of a student from Penn State is $101,800, and 46% come from the top 20 percent.
No surprises there, we know very few families who have kids at PSU main campus. I do know the local branch campus attracts a lot of the honor kids upon graduation. Don’t know if they move on for 4 yr degree.
Well, we just got an email that we were accepted to an info session at West Chester tomorrow, off the waitlist as they are all booked up.
I had been waiting for her report card and last SAT to come in. SAT went up to 1280, but GPA dropped, she almost failed one of her finals! She can be so inconsistent, but I feel now we just look at the PA state schools and maybe try for Honors Colleges.
I am leaning towards Bloomsburg, but DD really wants to see WCU, so off we go. Next week we do Bloomsburg. For those who have gone before, are you finding your kids more attracted to WCU or Bloom?
I think that SAT score would put you in the top 25% at WCU or Bloomsburg. It may also help you to get substantial merit at other private schools, so I wouldn’t cross them off of your list. You would be eligible for the Presidential award at York College of PA (10K per year), so maybe lower that PASSHE.
https://www.ycp.edu/admissions/cost-and-financial-aid/scholarships-and-grants/
I liked Bloomsburg better than WCU, as it felt like a more contained campus (even with 2 “levels”, upper and lower). My D preferred WCU.
@laralei …great info on the average family incomes from PASSHE and PSU families. I think that informations should/could of been helpful. Double the income…crazy.
Honestly, we liked both WCU and Bloomsburg. Bloomsburg is a charming town. Bloomsburg brings out this feeling of trust. WCU is a nice mix of old and new. Vibrant town and close to Philly. Can’t lose with either. They both provide good value, energy and a great 4 year experience.
@laralei my son chose Bloom over WCU. For him after scholarships the price was close. He chose Bloom because he felt right about the campus and their Computer Science program. He is on the spectrum so his reasons for choosing Bloom have a lot to do with Bloom being more compact. It felt smaller and not as overwhelming. It is also only an hour from home. One straight shot on I-80. We visited Bloom so many times and since he was accepted into the Honors program they invited him to come down and sit in on an honors class which was a great way for him to see a little closer how college classes compare to HS. They also gave him a tour of the housing floor and he met a couple of other honors students. We had orientation yesterday and it was awesome. So organized and everyone there was so friendly. He has some problems socially (it’s very hard for him to make friends) but as I watched him yesterday he seemed so happy and relaxed. I worry about him a lot but being at orientation yesterday calmed my nerves a little and I have faith that he made the right choice.
Pennsylvania’s state-run universities need to remember their purpose…
http://www.lewistownsentinel.com/opinion/editorials/2017/07/pennsylvanias-state-run-universities-need-to-remember-their-purpose/
PASSHE Board of Governors approves tuition increase…
http://www.pennlive.com/politics/index.ssf/2017/07/passhe_board_of_governors_appr.html#incart_river_index
No closings, mergers recommended for state-owned colleges…
http://www.readingeagle.com/news/article/no-closings-mergers-recommended-for-state-owned-colleges
Buyouts urged to cuts costs at 14 state universities…
http://www.observer-reporter.com/20170713/buyouts_urged_to_cuts_costs_at_14_state_universities
DD enjoyed her tour at WCU and liked the campus. As someone else has mentioned, it seemed very disjointed, and didn’t really have that campus feel in entirety. I would have liked to have gotten to town, as it looks very charming in pictures, but after the speed walk competition (guided tour) I was done. I’ve had knee surgery and probably should have just waited for DD to get done, I was in agony by the end. Stupid of me.
Anyway, she could easily see herself going there, but after the tour she tells me they don’t really offer the program she wants to take. Really!
I think before any more tours, I am going to look at the remaining schools we are considering and make sure they offer the courses she wants to take.
@Portercat I have looked at York’s scholarships and though she would qualify w/ the SAT score, her GPA isn’t high enough. ;(
D loved Lebanon Valley. Pretty campus. Very student-focused faculty.
It seems like there are a lot of research opportunities for students.
The merit is okay, except for a competitive full tuition scholarship that is given to five students.
Lebanon Valley’s merit aid may be reasonable but need-based aid is not so great. For our FAFSA $0 EFC family, their NPC estimated a family contribution of $0 but a net cost of over $22,000.
@kidzncatz I’m curious about how Elizabethtown’s need-based aid would compare to Lebanon Valley’s because I think they have a high rate of Pell grant recipients graduating.
Elizabethtown’s merit is more generous, I think.
I might just check the stats.
I took a quick trip over to collegedata and LVC and Etown look comparable for need-based aid for undergraduates, but the merit at Etown is better and Etown grads have less debt at graduation.