State-run colleges disappointed with flat funding proposal

(The Center Square) – The top official at Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education on Wednesday expressed disappointment in Gov. Josh Shapiro’s proposal to flat-fund the massive system in 2026-27, but he said it was too early to predict a tuition increase for next school year.

Chancellor Christopher M. Fiorentino spoke at a budget hearing held in the Capitol on Shapiro’s proposal to give the 83,000-student system the same funding of about $626 million that it received for 2025-26.

Leaders of the system originally asked for a 5% increase.

“We felt that 5% would put us in a position to hold tuition level. We still have that position,” Fiorentino told the House Appropriations Committee. “We feel that an investment in the State System of Higher Education is an investment in the future of the Commonwealth.”

The 14-campus system has faced strong headwinds in recent years, including significant enrollment declines. In 2022, several schools merged to create PennWest, and state Rep. Charity ...