Penn State will see a rise in state funding of about $4.14 million for the 2008-2009 fiscal year from last year.
Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell on Friday signed the $28.2 billion state budget, which will give Penn State $338.37 million, according to the Governor's Office of the Budget's Web site, budget.state.pa.us.
The increase on the table at the end of last week was at .08 percent, or $2.6 million. However, that number increased to 1.5 percent, said Tor Michaels, chief of staff for Rep. Scott Conklin, D-Centre.
"It has almost doubled from the $2.6 million that was on the table at the end of last week," he said.
Although it was a difficult budget year, the administration and legislatures understand the needs and pressure students are under and are doing their best, said Chuck Ardo, Rendell's press secretary.
"The increase is not as large as many would have liked, but it was as much as the state could give," Ardo said.
Vice President for University Relations Bill Mahon wrote in an e-mail the university did not have a comment on the appropriations as of last night.
The best news, Michaels said, is the funding for agriculture at the university will stay at the same level from last year. Because of that, there shouldn't be any cuts in the department, he said.
Agricultural research will receive $25.59 million, only $1,000 less than last year. The Pennsylvania College of Technology will see a rise in funds of $194,000, according to budget.state.pa.us.
Other state-related universities in Pennsylvania will receive increases as well, but none as high as Penn State's. The University of Pittsburgh will see an increase of $2.56 million from the year before, Temple University will see an increase of $2.58 million and Lincoln University will receive an increase of $707,000, according to budget.state.pa.us.
Penn State received $327.71 million in state appropriations in the 2006-2007 fiscal year and $334.23 million for 2007-2008, according to the University Budget Office's Web site, budget.psu.edu.
Those amounts do not include funding for The Milton S. Hershey Medical Center.
