For second time this year, PA House rejects in-state tuition bill

The fight in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives over funding for in-state tuition discounts continues after House Republicans blocked millions of dollars in state appropriations for four Pennsylvania universities, including Pitt.

House Bill 612 would allocate almost $650 million to Pitt, Temple, Penn State and Lincoln University for the fiscal year beginning on July 1, 2023 and ending on June 30, 2024. 

Even though the PA House has a Democratic majority, bills need a ⅔ majority to be passed, which the majority does not have. The bill failed by six votes on Thursday July 6th for the second time, with a third vote expected to occur in the coming weeks. 

Last month, votes for a bundled budget for all four state-related universities were rejected, as well as individual ones for Pitt and Temple. While some Republicans joined the majority, not enough votes were mustered for any of the bills. 

In the past, House Republicans have tried to pass bills that only fund state-affiliated universities if they adhere to specific research practices, which was vetoed by former Governor Wolf. 

During this round of voting, Republicans’ concerns revolved around open records laws, state funding being used for things other than in-state tuition and the continual increase in tuition prices at state-affiliated universities. 

University spokesperson Jared Stonesifer addressed the legislature’s decision, citing concerns over the impact of the vote on in-state tuition.

“The University of Pittsburgh is disappointed that the legislature hasn’t yet passed the bill that provides about $16,000 in annual tuition savings for nearly 17,000 Pennsylvania students. The Pitt community is watching the situation carefully and is very concerned about the impact of the legislature’s actions not just on our University, but on the entire state-related system in Pennsylvania,” Stonesifer said. “The 60-year partnership between the Commonwealth and our University is being jeopardized by the legislature’s inaction on providing funds to reduce tuition for Pennsylvania students and their families.”