Editorial: Education funding cuts harmful to state

Pitt students graduating May 1 might feel lucky to escape tuition increases due to proposed… Pitt students graduating May 1 might feel lucky to escape tuition increases due to proposed state budget cuts. But we at The Pitt News think the cuts will be harmful to more than those with a bill for next semester.

After Gov. Tom Corbett proposed to reduce education funding by almost $900 million last week — slashing Pitt’s $167 million appropriation by half — Chancellor Mark Nordenberg said Pitt will definitely have to increase tuition.

Though Pennsylvania’s economic state requires budgetary sacrifices, reducing education funding by such a large amount in such a short period of time is irresponsible — especially when other options have been left untouched and unexplored.

For example, Pennsylvania is the only big gas-drilling state without a severance tax on natural gas, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

And although Corbett’s budget painfully burdens higher education seekers, this cut will undoubtedly impact more than just college students and those who must fork the money into Pitt’s salivating mouth.

Because an increase in tuition is likely to encourage student loan debt and discourage enrollment, the city of Pittsburgh might become a less attractive location for companies and small businesses.

In addition, if Pitt sees a decrease in enrollment, the local economy could suffer due to the large spending role Pitt students have. The $76.8 million in annual discretionary spending Pitt students contribute is no joke. On top of that, Pitt is the sixth largest employer in the state, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry.

Though a tuition spike is a sure thing — we estimated that it could amount to an additional $4,000 per in-state student next year if the University doesn’t cut in other areas — Pitt could additionally be forced to eliminate other services, amenities and positions. The Chancellor has not yet specified if and where cuts will be made, but with such extreme appropriation cuts, almost everything seems in jeopardy.

We ultimately think Corbett’s severe cuts in higher education funding were unwarranted and detrimental to the state’s economic and intellectual health — especially since the budget does nothing to benefit higher education and only serves to take from it.

In addition, these cuts will require that Pitt practice proper transparency to assure its students that raising tuition is the only option.

Students opposed to Corbett’s proposal should check out coalitionpastudents.com to find to a link to an electronic petition or write to their local government representatives.