Penn State is still waiting for a $306.3 million check from the Pennsylvania General Assembly.

The amount is 5 percent lower than allocations were a year ago.

However, 95 percent last year's funding level would be nice at a time when the university has received no funding from the state, and is being forced to dip into reserves just to pay the bills. Those funds come from an interest-bearing account, and with every dollar taken out, there is less cash to accrue interest.

The loss of this income source is costing Penn State about $100,000 for every month of legislative procrastination and across-the-aisle bickering. If it continues, the university will need to take out loans just to keep the lights on and classrooms heated, and the interest on those loans will cost Penn State even more than they are losing now.

The appropriations were part of an overall education bill that Gov. Ed Rendell vetoed because it did not include his plans for public school reform and property tax reduction.

The merit of these programs is an issue that is worthy for debate. But holding up much-needed funds from both public schools and universities is not the political leverage that should be employed in this situation.

Education is the major capital investment students make in laying the infrastructure of their lives. It is too valuable to be transformed into political capital spent on partisan politics.

Recently, government officials have voiced concern over "brain drain," the increasing number of college students who leave Pennsylvania after graduating from college. They are worried about the economy and future of the state.

However, it is hard to ask students to stay in a state whose legislature cannot get it together to help fund their education.

Rendell and state legislators need to separate their debate over new school funding programs from the allocation of funds for this year.

They need to give out the money they voted on months ago so the education system that officials say they care so much about does not run itself into debt.