Senate Appropriations Committee aims to restore Pitt funding

The Republican-controlled Pennsylvania Senate Appropriations Committee voted unanimously on… The Republican-controlled Pennsylvania Senate Appropriations Committee voted unanimously on Tuesday to maintain Pitt’s state funding at $136.1 million for the next fiscal year, despite Gov. Tom Corbett’s proposed 30 percent cut.

In February, Corbett proposed a 30 percent slash to three of the four state-related Universities — Pitt, Penn State and Temple. Lincoln, by far the smallest of the four state-related schools, was to be spared. However, the cuts did not receive support in the General Assembly, as even the committee members of the governor’s own party voted not to cut funding from higher education.

While the ranking Republican in the Senate Appropriations Committee, Sen. Jake Corman (R-Centre), was not available for immediate comment, he previously voiced his opposition to the cuts.

“I’m going to do my best to not have any cuts [to higher education] this year,” Corman said in Feburary.

This is just the first step in the budget process. The state senate will vote on the budget on Wednesday, and the committee’s budget must also pass in the House before the governor ultimately signs it into law by its due date on June 30 — although budgets have been passed late in the past.

Sen. Jay Costa (D-Pittsburgh), whose district includes the University’s Oakland campus, believes the budget will pass without cuts to higher education.

“It is a very solid starting point,” Costa said, referring to the level of Pitt’s funding being sent through the Senate and the House for deliberation. “It’s a fair and respectable number.”

Costa said Corbett’s proposed 30-percent budget cut to Pitt was “unwarranted” and that the revenue number on which the governor based his budget was lower than the actual number. Costa said the original budget was based on a $718 million deficit, but the current deficit is actually around $300 million.

Corbett was unavailable for comment.

Costa said part of the understanding is that the University must keep its tuition increases in line with standard rates of inflation.