IHE: New Plan for Higher Ed in PA

[Wahoo Redux]

IHE: Governor Proposes 'Bold' Plan to Restructure Pennsylvania Higher Ed

Lower Deck:

The proposal calls for a sweeping overhaul of the state system as part of an initiative focused on workforce development and shoring up 25 public institutions.

Pennsylvania governor Josh Shapiro on Friday announced plans for a sweeping overhaul of the state's higher education system as part of an initiative focused on workforce development and boosting college access, maintaining affordability and shoring up 25 state institutions.

The multipronged approach includes consolidating the governance of two- and four-year institutions at a time of limited state resources and a greater supply of colleges than students. It also includes a new funding formula.

[apl68]

This stood out to me:

Pennsylvania was one of six states that cut per-student funding by more than 30 percent between 2008 and 2019, according to a 2021 report from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. Enrollment at PASSHE institutions declined nearly 20 percent between 2017 and 2023, according to state data; the state's community college enrollment also fell 25 percent between 2017 and 2021 but saw some gains in 2023.

So they have far fewer students and are spending less on each one.  They've evidently really defunded higher education.

The Governor is proposing spending more state money to reduce tuition cost to the students--and the new money is going to be tied to a "performance-based funding formula."  Wonder what that is supposed to look like?

Wonder if they're going to start making different institutions specialize in different programs, so that they can shut down what are judged to be redundant programs at various institutions?