In 2005, Penn State spent $638 million on research, a seemingly staggering amount of money for various fields of research across the university.

However, this funding, which is at an all time high, up nearly 45 percent from 2000, affects all students because it can help to increase the profile and the prestige of the university and attract additional faculty and graduate students who are committed to their fields.

It's encouraging to have professors who are well-versed in research because they have practical experience outside of teaching classes. It is particularly heartening to know that the professor teaching your class is most likely an expert and is conducting important research in the field.

It's also important to note that more than $365 million in funding originates from the federal government and about $82.3 million is provided by the state, so Penn State is hardly alone in footing the bill for the research, and it is receiving funding from these outside sources.

Though Penn State undergraduate tuition is at an all-time high, in part because of decreased state funding, the fact that money is still available for research from outside sources is important.

Penn State's research and development spending also ranked 11th among universities in 2003, according to National Science Foundation data.

This is comparable to other Big Ten schools, such as Ohio State, which spent $511 million on research in fiscal year 2005, and the projected funding for the University of Michigan, which is $804.3 million.

The research conducted at Penn State has far reaching implications, ranging from the Swift Gamma Ray Burst Explorer satellite, which has helped to pinpoint a black hole, to nanotechnology, which may help combat cancer.

This is evidence that the money spent on Penn State research is not wasted, but rather it is instead actually a vital part of the academic environment and it can provide potential scientific breakthroughs in the future.

And for students still questioning how such seemingly outrageous spending benefits them, each discovery and breakthrough with Penn State's name attached helps to strengthen the Penn State degree.