<p>I don’t understand why there is all this gnashing teeth in Pennsylvania. As a candidate, Tom Corbett said that he would oversee a drastic cut in state programs as well as promising not to increase taxes or inaugurate a tax for the drilling of Marcellus Shale. That’s why I voted for his opponent.</p>
<p>If you are complaining about the cuts to education – and other important programs – and voted for Tom Corbett, it is too late to change your vote I am sorry to say.</p>
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<p>If the above link doesn’t work, it is named “GOV CORBETT 50% Appropriation Reduction for Higher Education”</p>
<p>Khipper: Unfortunately, not enough people pay attention to elections for governor and state representatives. Every single teabagger showed up to vote, while most average citizens watched reality TV shows.</p>
<p>I worry more about the 14 institutions that make up the State System of Higher Educations (aka the State Teachers’ Colleges – ie, Slippery Rock, Bloomsburg, IUP, Lock Haven, Edinboro, etc.) for the most part, they don’t have rich alumni or huge endowments. These institutions are major employers in their communities and provide much cultural enrichment those communities.</p>
<p>You folks in PA have really been fracked over by the gas industry. Thanks for showing the neighboring states how not to do it though. We appreciate it. School funding will be the least of the problems. Worry about your drinking water.</p>
<p>Khipper: You are correct. Many of the state-owned universities also produce a high percentage of Pennsylvania’s nurses.</p>
<p>I know people won’t like this position but I don’t know why our tax money goes to subsidize people’s college education. The comment that $16k a year is high tuition for a state school is ridiculous. Have you looked at what private colleges charge?</p>
<p>Subsidizing public colleges is like giving out food stamps and welfare to anyone who wants it, regardless of their financial situation. </p>
<p>I don’t have a problem with reasonable social programs but subidizing college degree with no proof of need should end. Isn’t that what financial aid is for?</p>
<p>And for those that think people should not have the goverment subsidize post-secondary education without requiring proof of need, support Governor Corbett’s budget here: [Republican</a> Party of Pennsylvania](<a href=“http://www.pagop.org/]Republican”>http://www.pagop.org/)</p>
<p>1moremom
I did not saw the “lack of extraction tax” does not bother me. It bothers me. It was expected. Gov Corbett never hid his agenda during the campaign. It doesn’t bother me as much as the mixed message in the early childhood education. </p>
<p>RisingChemeist
I guess as I age I am becoming a socialist. Affordable post-secondary education is an expectation I have. Financial aid is a huge debt burden for too many students. I have looked at private school costs. To the point of obsession.</p>
<p>RisingChemist: You are clueless. I suggest you take a look at the history of this country. Affordable, accessible higher education is a major reason why we are a global leader in virtually every field you can name, from aerospace to biotechnology to environmental protection to computer science. Our highly-skilled workforce is the envy of the world in many respects.</p>
<p>How do you expect us to keep our lead in science and technology if only the richest 1 percent of Americans can afford to go to college?</p>
<p>Longhaul, that is one thing I’m not blaming Corbett for; it was last term’s Republican congressmen who refused to consider compromise on the tax. Otoh, do you think people had a clue as to his plans for the education budget?</p>
<p>Polarscribe: It is more than 1 percent of the population that goes to private universities. </p>
<p>As far as being the world leader, you are wrong. We are far behind many countries. If our skilled workforce is so great why is every job being outsourced. And about the leaders in biotechnology and computer science, most are coming from premier private colleges, not state subsidized colleges. </p>
<p>The reality is that too many kids are going to college. Many have very little aptitude. we don’t need the number of colleges we have. </p>
<p>If someone is underpriviledged but has academic talent they should look for aid. College aid is available. I have no problem with the govt using tax money to help talented students in need. I don’t like paying money to subsidize the education of free loaders. Why should I have to pay for your kid to go to UConn (or wherever)? If he wants to go, he should pay his way unless he can demonstrate need.</p>
<p>The best colleges in this country are private anyway. The idea that you a providing a kid an equal education by subsidizing Penn Sate, Pitt or Temple is wrong. Spend that money on boosting need based grants. Then, if a student can show need, they can go to the best school available. And the upper middle class and upper class will pay their way to private schools instead of going on the cheap to a subsidized program. </p>
<p>I happen to make fairly good money (well above the $200,000 annual cutoff). Should I be allowed to send my kids to Temple? Should I be entitled to welfare cheese?</p>
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<p>A few side notes on this (been googling for articles).</p>
<p>In one of the articles, I found the lt. governor making a statement that (paraphrasing) “when the state’s contribution was steady/increasing, the state-related universities continued to raise their tuitions/fees at well over the rate of inflation.” That’s correct, of course; we all know that colleges prices have increased at more than double the rate of inflation for many decades running. The Lt. Gov was referring to an argument that’s been ongoing for some time with the PA govt. vs the premier “state-related” institutions (the US’s most expensive “flagships”) - why aren’t the state’s students receiving the benefit? </p>
<p>Another observation that I saw made: although state support for the state-related institutions have gone from 30% down to 10% (over some period of time, not sure - but before this latest proposed cut), that’s primarily a function of the growth of the universities own cost structures, not declining support. That’s a good point.</p>
<p>The point that the PA govt is trying to make is: start controlling your costs. It’s a longstanding bone of contention.</p>
<p>It was encouraging reading comments from a Penn St. spokesman, who seemed to recognize that the solution wasn’t passing it all to students - he was actually talking about how to cut. Of course, some of it will be painful, but not as painful as in competitive industries with price-sensitive customers. In private business, the cuts come harder, faster, and more frequently.</p>
<p>One of the problems that we all face as parents/students is that education prices, whether public or private, have been a massive expanding bubble. With the tough economics of the past few years, the pressure is building from all directions. This will be horrible to watch, but it’s been a long time in coming.</p>
<p>I assume most folks in this thread know this, but perhaps not everybody does: The “state-related” universities (Pitt, Penn St, Temple, and one other) aren’t actually part of the state higher ed system. They’re a strange hybrid - private when it’s time to open the books or recruit students, but public when they’re looking for state funding. It hasn’t been working very well for the state govt or for the in-state students. This looks like tough love, but it’s ugly.</p>
<p>The actual state schools in PA are a completely different matter. They’re generally lower tier, but at least they’re under state control. To me, their problems seem to reflect badly on both the competence of the PA govt and the lack of quality management within the universities themselves. Both sides seem to bear some responsibility for the cost explosion and the current cuts. It would be nice to see an outbreak of competence all around, so that these schools improve.</p>
<p>Too many kids are going to college? Seriously, you think that?</p>
<p>Go ask the CEOs of Fortune 500 companies if they think we need fewer college graduates. Bet they’d laugh you out of the office.</p>
<p>And yes, we are the world leader in technology. Where are the most innovative consumer products developed? Who is designing and selling the hottest computing solutions? Is Silicon Valley in China or California?</p>
<p>What has been done in other states has been to reward public colleges with additional funds if they commit to very low tuition increases. I don’t think slashing 50% of the state funding will provide any incentive to keep tuition reasonable. Tuition will have to be greatly raised just to provide a minimal level of offerings.</p>
<p>I think the state universities should announce that they are closing all of their branch campuses within the districts of Republican state senators.</p>
<p>FYI: Penn State is a state owned institution.</p>
<p>The “state related” institutions are the University of Pittsburgh, Temple University and historically black Lincoln University.</p>
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<p>Two of the biggest of all time are college dropouts. (Some guy who ran Microsoft and that young 'en that started fb.)</p>
<p>Doesn’t mean they don’t need college graduates in their businesses.</p>