Conklin, Takac vote to pass funding for state-related universities
Rep. Scott Conklin October 31, 2023 | 3:51 PM
HARRISBURG, Oct. 31 – State Reps. Scott Conklin and Paul Takac, D-Centre, announced the PA House of Representatives has passed legislation to provide funding to PA’s state-related universities.
The bill would allocate more than $259 million to Penn State, $28 million to the Pennsylvania College of Technology, $165 million to the University of Pittsburgh, $169 million to Temple University, and $19 million to Lincoln University. The bill also would freeze tuition for the 2024-25 school year.
It increases funding for Penn State by 7%.
“House Bill 612 would provide the necessary funding for Penn State University and the other state-related universities,” Conklin said. “This will support Penn State students in Centre County and students all across Pennsylvania.”
“For months I have been a strong and persistent advocate for finding a way to move forward with long-overdue funding for Penn State and the other world-class universities we support,” Takac said. “This unnecessary and politically driven impasse has created difficulty and uncertainty for not only students and their families, but also real hardship for employees, agencies, and communities across Pennsylvania.
“I am hopeful that today’s bipartisan vote in the House is quickly followed by action in the Senate to finally resolve this urgent issue. While H.B. 612 is not ideal, it does preserve the much-needed 7% funding increase supported by both the Shapiro administration and House Democrats,” he said. “This modest increase is a necessary first step to help make higher education more affordable for all Pennsylvanians and to invest in a strong, prosperous future for our commonwealth.”
The House previously voted on H.B. 612, sponsored by state Rep. Jordan Harris, D-Phila., in June and July. The bill passed the House today by a vote of 145-57 and now awaits consideration in the Senate.