Editorial: Governor’s proposal forgets key schools

In response to the tough economic times, Gov. Ed Rendell projected a new way of ensuring that… In response to the tough economic times, Gov. Ed Rendell projected a new way of ensuring that incoming college students can still afford higher education. As part of the plan, which has yet to be unveiled, the governor proposed that incoming college students whose families earn less than $100,000 a year would be eligible for up to $7,600 in financial aid at state system universities and community colleges, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Western Pennsylvania state schools eligible for tuition relief include California, Clarion, Edinboro, Indiana and Slippery Rock. Allegheny, Beaver, Butler and Westmoreland community colleges would also be included. But there are some very important schools missing from this list of aid ‘mdash; namely, Pitt, Penn State, Temple and Lincoln universities. Sure, the Governor’s plan aims to make college more accessible to thousands, but it also unabashedly disregards Pennsylvania’s big-name state-related schools. Regarding the governor’s proposed idea, Paul Supowitz, Pitt’s vice chancellor of governmental relations, made the following statement: ‘We’re still waiting to hear all the following details, but if this is a program that’s intended to help make higher education affordable to Pennsylvania students and their families, then the state-related schools absolutely should be included.’ According to a senior administration official, state-related schools will not be given aid because the state doesn’t have as much control or influence over these schools’ tuition increases. Despite the motive for Pitt’s ostracizing, the state continually lowers the amount it contributes to the University’s budget. To negotiate this financial strain, Pitt is forced to raise tuition. This response can only further deter potential students from attending our school. Meanwhile, other schools would become increasingly monetarily attractive. The governor’s planned financial aid package also disservices the especially strong academic fields notable to each state-related school. Pitt, for example, is noted for its superior engineering and business schools. Most state schools offer a range of academic pursuits, but their resources might not be apt at a comparable level. For the 2008-09 school year, in-state tuition for undergraduate Pennsylvania residents enrolled in the school of Arts and Sciences stands at $12,832. This figure is markedly higher than some state schools and community colleges. Yet the governor’s proposal seeks to help the schools that are already among the more affordable in the state. Even with recognizable logos, sports teams and alumni, schools like Pitt and Penn State can’t survive on image and prestige alone. The truth is, running a university is a very competitive business, and Pitt can’t constantly cut back and hike tuition rates if it hopes to stay competitive. With a consistently diminishing state-granted budget, perhaps Pitt will have no choice but to become a privatized institution in the future.