The State System of Higher Education will ask Pennsylvania for a budget allocation of $550 million next year, after receiving $477.5 million in each of the past two years. It would be the first time the System topped $500 million in state funding since it received $503 million in 2010, which was when enrollment peaked at 112,000 students. Current enrollment at the fourteen state-owned universities dipped 5.4 percent this year to around 93,000.
The funding request would be independent of the additional funds pledged by the state for the State System Redesign. Pennsylvania will give the State System $200 million over three years for the Redesign. it paid $50 million of that in the current fiscal budget.
The Board of Governors approved the funding request recommended by Chancellor Dan Greenstein on Thursday.
