Although Gov. Robert P. Casey has proposed an increase in state funding to the University of about 3.4 percent next year, the amount falls more than $10 million short of the University's request.

The University has the chance to make its case for more money at a state House of Represenatatives' panel discussion next week and during the state Senate budget hearings on March 2. But University President Joab Thomas said he will meet with individual legislators several other times.

"We'll just have to work hard and see what we can do," Thomas said. "We will do our best."

Casey proposed allocating more than $268 million for the University for 1994-95, including a Tuition Challenge Grant of about $9.3 million. The University Board of Trustees approved in September a request for $279 million in state funding, $20 million more than it received for 1993-94.

Following the announcement of Casey's proposal, the presidents of the five state-related universities released a statement saying they were "keenly disappointed" a 3.5 percent cut in the 1992-93 budget was not restored.

A cut in appropriations to some private schools such as the University of Pennsylvania was restored, but the public schools' budget reductions were not.

Carol Herrmann, vice president for administration, said if the University receives more state money, it will come from bringing back the cut.

"We had all hopes that that would be restored -- and it wasn't," she said. "The new money that will come primarily comes to us as a result of the Tuition Challenge Grant."

The amount of the grant depends on University enrollment and is contingent on limiting tuition hikes to less than 4.5 percent. Last year, the grant totalled $9.9 million, about $200 a student. Casey made the grant permanent, which Herrmann said was good news for the University.

Harold Gutierrez (sophomore-administration of justice) said the University should lobby for more money.

"The more money we can get, whatever can help us bring down tuition and those kinds of costs --the majority of students are for that," he said.

Expanding telecommunications, a major part of the University's request, gained and lost ground. Casey included the capital budget request for about $15.8 million in the proposal, which Thomas said pleased him, but he expressed disappointment that the separate line item of $4.5 million was not included.

Some students still said the University does not need that much money for telecommunications right now.

"If they're going to do something, they should spread it out for a long period of time," Gutierrez said.

Jamie Jackson (freshman-music) said the University makes enough money.

"I think they'll eventually get it. They'll be able to find a way," she said.

Thomas said the lower allocations probably resulted from fewer state funds and more demands.

"We all have to establish priorities," he said. "We have done our best with the limited resources that we have been provided with."

Last month, Thomas and other representatives from the state-related and state-owned schools met in Harrisburg to emphasize the contributions and importance of public universities.

Herrmann said the Harrisburg meeting on Jan. 25 probably did not affect the governor's proposal because school officials met with legislators, not Casey. The recommendations now go to the state General Assembly, which must adopt the budget by July 1.

"Hopefully, we'll get support from the legislature," she said.