Gov. Josh Shapiro (D-PA) is introducing a four-point plan in his 2024-25 budget proposal next month to remedy the state’s deficient higher education system after it was ranked as one of the worst in the country.
The blueprint is the governor’s latest effort to provide better access and affordability for college students, drawing attention to the state’s lacking higher education system, which currently ranks 48th for affordability and 49th for state investment. It also will include spending $5.4 billion to catch up to other better-performing schools and $4.2 billion in basic education funding, the Pennsylvania Capital-Star reported.
The governor’s name has been tossed around as a possible presidential alternative, with some Pennsylvania swing voters seeing him as the Democratic Party’s next star, according to a focus group conducted by Axios.
“Every Pennsylvanian deserves the freedom to chart their own course and the opportunity to succeed,” the governor said in a press release. “For some, that means going right into the workforce — but for those who want to go to college or get a credential, we need to rethink our system of higher education. Whether you want to take one course to brush up on your skills, earn a certificate to qualify for a promotion, or pursue a degree that will lead to a new career — you deserve accessible, affordable higher education options.”
The first step in the plan is to unite the 10 state-owned universities, including 14 state campuses and 15 community colleges, and put them under one governance system.
The plan’s second step would ease the financial burden for low- to middle-income college students so they would have to pay at most $1,000 per semester at state-owned universities and community colleges. The third point will focus on funding through a performance-based lens.
“In consultation with higher education stakeholders, the Shapiro Administration will establish a predictable, performance-based funding formula that rewards public and state-related colleges and universities for achieving outcomes that benefit the Commonwealth,” according to the press release.
Part of Shapiro’s plan would ensure that funding goes through the Department of Education and not a two-thirds legislature vote.
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The Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education’s enrollment rates have declined by one-third in the last decade, with a significant fall coming from students who live in homes with incomes below $100,000, according to the Associated Press.
Additional information about Shapiro’s proposal will be released on Feb. 6 at his budget address.