Budget.
When you see that word, you probably want to put down the newspaper and quit reading.
It’s confusing, and it doesn’t even affect you anyway right?
WRONG.
Pa. Governor Tom Corbett’s proposed budget for 2012-13 affects every single one of you in a very big way.
Tuesday, Corbett announced his proposed budget, which includes a 20 percent cut, or $82.5 million, of state funding to Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE) schools, one of which is SRU.
So what does that mean for you, the typical student?
Let’s look at the facts. Last year, Corbett proposed a 51.4 percent cut. Thankfully, the actual cut for 2011-12 was only 18 percent.
But that 18 percent cut did enough damage to directly affect every single student. Because of the cut, the PASSHE Board of Governors was forced to increase the cost of tuition by 7.5 percent, which we’re sure you noticed when your tuition bill came in the mail in August.
Let’s think about this for a second.
The 18 percent budget cut for 2011-12 led to a 7.5 percent tuition hike.
Corbett just proposed a 2012-13 budget, which would include a 20 percent cut of state funding.
Assuming that stands and no concession is made by the state legislature, we could be looking at another tuition hike of 8 percent or possibly more.
That’s a big deal. For some people, that could mean no longer being able to afford college.
This is a public institution of higher education. There shouldn’t even be a question of affordability.
And a tuition increase isn’t the only repercussion we may have to worry about.
California University of Pa., another one of the 14 PASSHE schools, announced Wednesday, the day after Corbett revealed his proposed budget, that they will cut eleven of their 116 administrators.
Our university has shown no signs of plans to cut expenses, but if this budget cut goes through, changes are going to have to be made.
So what can you do to help? Send an email to Corbett and your other state representatives telling them why they shouldn’t be cutting funds to higher education.
Post on Facebook and Twitter about it. It seems like a small gesture, but social media has unbelievable power.
We’re not sure what the motivation is for Governor Corbett’s apparent crusade against education, but we don’t like it. And it needs to change.
