Impact

General Assembly maintains Penn State’s funding levels for 2021-22

The Pennsylvania State University seal is inscribed on a pillar behind the HUB-Robeson Center on the University Park campus. Credit: Chris Koleno / Penn StateCreative Commons

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The Pennsylvania General Assembly has passed a state budget that maintains Penn State’s current funding levels for the 2021-22 fiscal year, which begins July 1. The budget package, which now heads to Gov. Tom Wolf for his anticipated signature, includes level funding of $242.1 million for the University’s general support appropriation, $54.96 million for Penn State Agricultural Research and Extension and $26.74 million for Pennsylvania College of Technology.

“I am appreciative that our leaders in Harrisburg have again kept the University’s funding intact, providing a welcome source of stability during a period of uncertainty,” said Penn State President Eric J. Barron. “Our longstanding partnership with the commonwealth helps us succeed in our efforts to provide Pennsylvanians with access to a world-class education close to home and impact our communities through the services offered by Penn State Extension, Invent Penn State and Penn State Health. We have continued to live up to our mission despite the challenges of the pandemic, and we look forward to providing a great return on the state’s investment in the year ahead.”

The general support appropriation helps to offset the cost of resident tuition and supplements the University’s access and affordability initiatives. Each year, more than 50,000 Pennsylvania students and their families benefit from in-state tuition rates that are the direct result of state support. Penn State then takes the per-student investment provided by the appropriation and doubles it, saving Pennsylvania resident students an average of $10,500 annually on tuition.

State funding also allows Penn State to invest in the quality of its academic programs, helping to attract Pennsylvania’s top students and prepare them for successful careers after graduation, and supports the University’s efforts to drive innovation, spur economic growth and create jobs in communities across the commonwealth through the Invent Penn State initiative.

Additionally, state appropriations support Penn State Agricultural Research and Extension operations that translate science-based knowledge into practical solutions that benefit people, businesses and communities in all 67 Pennsylvania counties; provide important funding for Pennsylvania College of Technology in Williamsport, a wholly owned Penn State subsidiary with a focus on applied technology education; and enhance access to high-quality health care through the Penn State Health enterprise and the College of Medicine, which also receive state support.

With the University’s state appropriation now set, Penn State’s operating budget and tuition schedules for the 2021-22 fiscal year will be finalized and presented to the Board of Trustees for consideration at its next meeting July 15-16 at University Park.

Last Updated June 25, 2021