Corbett Says Pa. State-Run Colleges Will Get Same Funding As Last Year
By Tony Romeo
HARRISBURG, Pa. (CBS) -- Pennsylvania governor Tom Corbett announced today that he'll propose no cuts in funding for state-related and state-owned universities when he makes his budget address next week.
Corbett says funding for the state-related universities -– Temple, Pitt, Lincoln, and Penn State -– as well as the 14 state-owned universities will remain the same in his budget proposal.
Given that other state funding obligations will be higher than revenues, state senator Jake Corman -- the Republican chairman of Senate Appropriations whose district includes Penn State -– says it's an important step:
"To come here today and say, 'Despite that structural deficit we are still going to commit to be able to fully fund higher education at the level we did last year' is a significant commitment by the governor."
The plan not to cut higher education funding comes with a pledge from university heads to keep tuition as low as possible -- but Gov. Corbett declined to say what would be "too high."
"I'm not going to draw a line right now, because I don't know what all the factors are that are out there," the governor said. "OK, let's say 10 percent -- I have a problem with ten percent."
But Corbett otherwise declined to say what level of tuition hikes he would allow.
