When Penn State’s first president Evan Pugh arrived in State College, he found a dire situation: an unfinished Old Main, a carpenters’ shanty for a dining hall, and living quarters without a bath or toilet accommodation. He immediately hit the road for Harrisburg. His mission was to seek a $50,000 appropriation to address some of the campus’s most immediate needs. In short order, President Pugh’s request was denied.

The following year, State Rep. William C. Duncan reintroduced the bill. Rep. Duncan’s endorsement, coupled with the support of local agricultural societies and the newly elected Gov. Andrew Curtin, resulted in smooth passage. The appropriation was approved, and our partnership with the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania was born.

Since then, the governor and our state legislators have played a vital role in helping Penn State advance our land-grant mission of teaching, research and service. Modest increases in the appropriation in three of the last six years combined with Penn State’s intensified efforts related to access and affordability have helped Penn State minimize tuition increases for Pennsylvania resident students. But this year, given the widespread economic damage of a global pandemic, the appropriation is uncertain.

What does this mean for you?

The state appropriation helps us defray the cost of in-state tuition for Pennsylvania resident undergraduates across all our campuses, which serve some of the most economically challenged regions of Pennsylvania. Typically, the appropriation contributes approximately $5,000 for each Pennsylvania student. Penn State more than doubles that investment, saving 48,000 Pennsylvania families over $12,000 each year on resident student tuition.

In addition, the state appropriation provides crucial funding that helps support Agricultural Research and Extension; Medical Assistance, CURE, the Cancer Institute, ASERT, and other health-related activities of Penn State Health and the College of Medicine and the Pennsylvania College of Technology. The appropriation helps us contribute immeasurably to quality of life, economic development, agricultural productivity, medical care, and leadership in every sector of society. In short, we rely on the commonwealth’s investment in Penn State to deliver the research, education and service on which generations of Pennsylvanians have relied.

What can you do?

Please join me in advocating for our University on this year’s virtual Advocate Penn State Capital Day on March 25. This is a prime opportunity to connect with your legislators in Harrisburg to express your support for our land-grant mission of teaching, research and service. Share your experience with our world-class academic programs, career services, research projects, Invent Penn State, and the countless activities that have ranked Penn State among the top 1% of universities in the world.

The pandemic has had a dramatic impact on Penn State’s resources. Enrollments have declined as students have decided for personal or financial reasons to postpone college, yet the University’s costs have increased to enable expanded remote delivery of instruction and enhanced cleaning and spacing protocols at our campuses across the commonwealth. We have also had limited ability to invest in the innovative initiatives that drive economic development and student career success. This has an impact on all our lives given that Penn State contributes more than $11.6 billion to the state’s economy and supports, directly and indirectly, more than 105,000 jobs across Pennsylvania according to a report released in 2019. Notably, for every $1 in state appropriations received by Penn State, the University returns $1.24 in tax payments to the commonwealth. An investment in Penn State benefits every Pennsylvanian.

How can you participate?

Visit advocate.psu.edu to contact your legislator. Tell your elected officials why Penn State is worth funding. Share your personal experience as a Penn Stater and a Pennsylvania citizen.

Since our founding, the state appropriation has been critical to helping our institution attract and retain students from Pennsylvania’s working families. With the support of the commonwealth, we can continue our efforts related to access and affordability, student career success and economic development, agricultural research, and more. Pennsylvania is better because of Penn State, and Penn State is better because of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

Each year, I look forward to Capital Day so we can publicly share our Penn State pride, thank the legislature for its support, and most of all, demonstrate the value of the commonwealth’s investment in Penn State. I always welcome the opportunity to advocate for our students, faculty and staff, and I urge you to join me in this effort. Thank you for your support and all you do for Penn State.

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