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February 17, 2005

Governor Proposes 3.1% Hike for Pitt

Gov. Ed Rendell’s proposed budget for fiscal year 2006, which begins July 1, calls for an overall 3.1 percent increase in state subsidies to Pitt and similar increases for the commonwealth’s other state-related universities.
Pitt’s appropriations tally almost $174 million in the governor’s budget, which was released Feb. 9. The University requested $186.7 million in state appropriations — a 10.6 percent increase — in a proposal submitted to the commonwealth in September.
“The 10.6 percent increase was a reflection of what we felt was necessary and also would restore the cuts that had been made over the last four years,” said Paul Supowitz, Pitt associate vice chancellor for Commonwealth and City/County Relations.
According to Rendell’s proposal, Pitt’s educational and general (E&G) funding would increase by 2 percent to $153.4 million with the remainder of Pitt’s appropriation going toward line-item funding for the School of Medicine, the dental clinic, the Graduate School of Public Health, Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic and other University programs.
“We knew this would be a difficult budget year,” Supowitz said. Funding is expected to be tight this year because the state will not receive some $200 million from the federal government for Medicare funding that it has received for the last two years.
But he added that the administration in Harrisburg indicated this year that they would focus on higher education as they did with basic education during Rendell’s first two years in office. “We were hoping for more,” Supowitz said.
Pitt officials will present their case for more funding in front of the State senate and house appropriations committees on March 1 and 2.
“We’re at the beginning of the process,” Supowitz said. “We will work hard with the General Assembly to improve on the governor’s proposal.”
—Mary Ann Thomas


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