Penn State has landed on the state's cutting room floor — again. Under Gov. Mark Schweiker's proposed budget announced Tuesday, Penn State would receive 5 percent less money from the state next year. The university would receive $318 million, an amount almost equivalent to what Penn State received three years ago.

Before the state legislature approves such a dramatic cut in funding, members need to re-evaluate what Pennsylvania deems as important. For years, state officials have talked about attracting more businesses and more jobs to Pennsylvania. But to do so, the state needs to have an educated and able-bodied workforce. By proposing to slash the budget of the state's largest university, Pennsylvania seems to be sending the opposite message.

The proposed budget comes about two weeks after Schweiker announced a $143.8 million budget cut, in addition to the $200 million budget freeze implemented by former Gov. Tom Ridge. The budget changes aim to combat a shortage in revenue because of the national recession. But the cuts add up. This year, Penn State already has lost $10 million from its original state appropriation.

If the university does not receive adequate funding from the state, Penn State will have to find money somewhere else. More likely than not, that source will be students' pockets. Last year's 7.76 percent tuition increase hit students hard. Next year's tuition bill could be even more devastating.

If the state continues to cut back Penn State's appropriations and the university passes the burden onto students, obtaining a college degree could become impossible for some students.

The dramatic cuts in appropriations also will affect some programs at Penn State that rely entirely on state money. Agricultural research and some other parts of the university's operations receive no funding from student tuition to support them in the event of state budget cuts.

Pennsylvania should be proud of the work and initiatives of Penn State researchers, who bring positive recognition to the state and contribute valuable knowledge to their fields. The state should be encouraging, not stifling this work.

In short, the state legislators must keep in mind all the positive contributions this university makes to Pennsylvania before they approve any proposed budget cut. Whether it be the thousands of well-educated students who graduate from Penn State each year or the research developments the university fosters, Penn State is a positive contributor to the state and will be dramatically hurt by such a great cut. And Pennsylvania will be, too.