UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — When Penn Staters speak with one voice, elected officials stop and listen. And there is no greater way to stand up and voice support for Penn State with leaders in Harrisburg and Washington, D.C., than to become a Penn State Advocate.
Join Advocate Penn State now — signing up takes less than a minute.
As Penn State’s advocacy network, Advocate Penn State is the easiest and most effective way for Penn State’s donors and friends to formalize their advocacy efforts for the University.
“Our donors have already shown their direct support for the University and its mission of teaching, research and service to the state,” said Rich Bundy, vice president for Development and Alumni Relations. “We are incredibly thankful for that support and ask that you take another step with us to become a Penn State Advocate as we seek to advance Penn State in fulfilling its land-grant mission. Advocate Penn State provides the resources and tools to empower you to be the presence and the voice of the University in our legislative advocacy efforts.”
Those who join Advocate Penn State will receive no more than 12 emails annually to prepare them for a few simple advocacy action requests throughout the year.
Supporting students and strengthening Penn State’s impact
Grassroots support is a key part of Penn State’s annual advocacy efforts to secure necessary state funding, which contributes directly to the University’s tuition discount for Pennsylvania resident students.
For 2023-24, Penn State is requesting a $115 million increase in its general support funding from the state — money that will support Penn State’s education mission and in-state tuition discount, directly benefiting thousands of Pennsylvania students and families and strengthening Penn State’s impact on the commonwealth and its citizens.
This historic request reflects an issue of fairness for Penn State’s Pennsylvania resident students, who are significantly underfunded on a per-student basis compared to their peers at other Pennsylvania public universities, who receive between $2,600 and $3,400 more per in-state student than Penn State. University leaders are asking that Penn State’s funding per Pennsylvania undergraduate, which currently ranks last among the state’s public universities, be increased to align with that of the next lowest-funded Pennsylvania public university on a per-student basis.
Conversations about this year’s requested increase will continue with Penn State’s partners at all levels of state government from now until June 2023. The support of Penn State’s advocate base will be critical throughout the entire process.
“This year, as we seek this increase to our funding, support from our advocates is going to play a huge role in the process,” said Zack Moore, vice president for Government and Community Relations. “Donors make an indelible mark on the University through their generosity, and adding your voice to the list of advocates represents an added level of commitment to the University’s success. I know we can count on all of our Penn State donors and friends to show their support.”
The entire Penn State community is encouraged to join Advocate Penn State at advocate.psu.edu to express support for the University's state funding and stay up to date on all of Penn State’s legislative priorities.