Letter to the editor

Dedicated funding needed for Pa. higher education

As chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Education and as a member of the House Education Committee, I have found the conversation regarding a dedicated and predictable annual funding stream for higher education to be timely and critical. 

Since my first state budget in 2003, I have found our current system of funding higher education troubling and irresponsible. We currently provide our levels of funding for higher education solely based on the will of the governor and General Assembly, rather than an approach that accounts for the number of students, purpose of the educational institution, performance of the institution, or other rational considerations. This has been a part of informal discussions since I began serving in the General Assembly and a part of our serious budgetary discussion as far back as March of this year during the Appropriations Committee's hearing on higher education.

I think the taxpayers, students and residents of this Commonwealth deserve a better, more focused and dependable source of funding. That is why I believe the plan put forth by Appropriations Chairman Dwight Evans and House Democrats presents a creative and critical approach to funding the future of higher education in a way that will be better able to withstand even the worst of economic conditions.

While I know that change can be difficult, I also believe that faced with the current situation, discussing changes to education funding is a responsible step the General Assembly must take. We are tasked with passing a budget while facing the most severe economic circumstances in Pennsylvania's history since the Great Depression. All ideas should be welcomed and all solutions kept on the table, including that politically unpopular "T" word.

I call on the governor, legislative leaders, educational leaders at our State System of Higher Education, community colleges, the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency, state-related universities, private colleges and institutions, as well as faculty and students, to come together in a real attempt to fix our broken system.  I stand willing to convene such a series of conversations as we continue to negotiate our budget.

State Rep. Jake Wheatley

19th Legislative District

Chairman, House Appropriations Subcommittee on Education