On Wednesday, the State System of Higher Education went before both House and Senate Appropriations Committees.
Members of the Senate committee were looking for details on Governor Josh Shapiro’s proposed governance model for state system schools and community colleges, especially about how the structure would look and when the transition would take place. Chancellor Dan Greenstein took part in the hearing, but Greenstein was not asked to take part in the work group that was planning the merger. Greenstein also did not have any details on the Governor Shapiro’s proposal to limit tuition to $1000 for students from families that make under $70,000. He also could not provide details on how many students would benefit from this or what the cost would be to other students or taxpayers.
It was mentioned in the hearing that enrollment in the State System was down 30.8% from 2010 and another 2.2% drop this fall.
In the House committee hearing, House Republicans said that they want to see the costs kept down to ensure that state dollars are maximized for students, including the negotiation of collective bargaining agreements. House Committee members expressed support for the State System’s efforts to educate students for high-need jobs in the state.
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