State avoids cutting Pitt’s budget by using stimulus

‘ ‘ ‘ Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell will apply the federal stimulus to avoid cutting the budgets… ‘ ‘ ‘ Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell will apply the federal stimulus to avoid cutting the budgets of Pitt and three other state-related schools. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ Rendell, a Democrat, said in a statement Tuesday that he hoped the additional $42 million in funding would allow schools to keep from raising their tuitions. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ But Pitt’s vice chancellor of public affairs, Robert Hill, said it’s too early to tell how the funding will affect the University. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ First, he said, University officials must meet with Rendell’s representatives to discuss the plan and its implementation. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘We are very pleased that Gov. Rendell has acted so quickly,’ said Hill. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ But he added that challenges remain in light of the economy. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ Rendell’s previously proposed budget would have given Pitt $11.4 million less in funding next fiscal year than this fiscal year. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ The three other state-related schools affected by the announcement are Lincoln, Penn State and Temple universities.