Penn State President Graham Spanier will testify today in Harrisburg to petition the state for an increase in the university's appropriations in the state's budget for the upcoming year.
He will petition both the Pennsylvania State House of Representatives and Senate. On Feb. 5, Gov. Ed Rendell suggested a .78 percent increase in appropriations, which Bill Mahon, vice president for university relations, called disappointing earlier this month. Penn State's Board of Trustees recommended a 6.9 percent increase in funding at a meeting in September.
Penn State received $334.23 million for this current academic year, according to budget.psu.edu; if the commonwealth supports Rendell's recommendation, Penn State will receive $336.84 million for the 2008-09 academic year.
Penn State spokeswoman Lisa Powers said increased appropriations are crucial.
"I think that, by taking this to the legislature, our hope is that we would, in fact, be able to achieve the 6.9 percent increase we are seeking," Powers said. "I think it's extraordinarily important."
The State House Appropriations Committee will meet with Spanier, as well as representatives from the three other state-related universities -- Lincoln University, Temple University and University of Pittsburgh -- at 9 a.m. The State Senate Appropriations Committee will meet with university representatives at 3 p.m.
Johnna Pro, press secretary for Rep. Dwight Evans, D-Philadelphia, chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, said she acknowledges the governor's recommendation "wasn't much."
She said members of the committee will listen to about a half-hour of university testimony and then ask Spanier questions.
"It can run the gamut from very specific line-item questions to broad philosophical questions like, 'Why should we give you any money when you refuse to release any information?' " Pro said.
According to the Appropriation Request at budget.psu.edu, Spanier will seek an additional $24,202,000 from the commonwealth in increased appropriations.
Pro said there is no expectation for a significant change in Rendell's budget suggestion and that these meetings are routine.
Powers stressed that appropriations are not a perfect fix for rising university tuition.
"Even if we're able to achieve this appropriations increase, there's still going to be an increase in tuition," Powers said.
The request states that if the commonwealth complies with Spanier's request, the university will increase University Park tuition by 5.5 percent for the 2008-09 academic year.
Powers said tuition would increase by a greater amount if the legislature does not heed Spanier's request.
"There are two main sources of income for our instructional programs -- tuition and legislative appropriations," Spanier said last month. "If we can't get enough of the appropriation, then we have to rely more on tuition."
