By SUSAN JONES
The funding Pitt has received each year from the commonwealth since 1966 remains in limbo nearly a month after Gov. Josh Shapiro signed the state’s budget and three months after the normal budget deadline.
Shapiro has requested a 7 percent increase in funding for the four state-related universities — Pitt, Penn State, Temple and Lincoln. For Pitt, that would mean $162.3 million, which all goes toward reducing tuition for in-state students, and $3.6 million for rural education outreach.
Approval of the budget by the governor and lawmakers earlier this month allowed a majority of state dollars to be distributed, but several appropriations require code bills that dictate how state money should be spent. This includes the appropriation for the state-related universities.
A measure that packaged funding for all four schools into one bill failed twice in June to pass the House. The nonpreferred appropriation requires a two-thirds majority for approval.
“The situation in Harrisburg remains fluid,” said David Brown, vice chancellor for government relations and advocacy. “While the General Assembly has passed and the governor has signed the budget bill, funding for the state-related universities and our students is still unresolved.
“We’re in regular contact with leaders in Harrisburg, advocating for our students and sharing the life-changing impact the University has in our communities and across the commonwealth. We remain optimistic the General Assembly will approve a funding bill that continues our 60-year partnership with the state and provides tuition support for our Pennsylvania students.”
The House — which is tied at 101 Democrats and 101 Republicans members — is currently not scheduled to reconvene until Sept. 26. The Post-Gazette reported this week that a spokesperson for the House Democratic leader, Rep. Matt Bradford of Montgomery County, said an earlier return was possible. A special election on Sept. 19 in Allegheny County to fill the seat Democrat Sara Innamorato vacated last month to run for county executive will determine the House majority.
State Senate President Pro Tempore Kim Ward (R-Westmoreland) said this week that the Senate would return on Aug. 30 to deal with unfinished business.
Hari Sastry, Pitt’s chief financial officer, said earlier in the summer that Pitt is in good financial shape and will use money it planned to spend later in the year to cover the tuition discount during the appropriation delay.
For fiscal year 2022-23, state funding amounted to 7 percent of Pitt’s budget, according to Sastry’s office. The University’s Board of Trustees in July approved an operating budget of $3 billion for 2023-24.
“Even in the absence of an appropriation, it was critical for Pitt to move forward with budget decisions,” Sastry said the full budget was passed, “to provide stability and continuity for all aspects of our University operations, especially our students, faculty and staff,”
Transparency issues
Republican lawmakers and some Democrats also have been pushing for more transparency from the four schools, which are exempt from large portions of Pennsylvania’s Right-to-Know Law.
The universities must report their annual 990 IRS form, along with salaries of all officers and directors and top 25 highest paid employees. Pitt’s information is available online. The universities also must provide annual information on Faculty Costs and Faculty Workload, through the Snyder Report, and on the purchase of goods and services over $1,000 in the Stairs Report, which also includes data on comparing tuition revenue and other expenses to the previous year.
“The University of Pittsburgh — as a state-related institution — is already subject to Pennsylvania’s Right-to-Know law, per Act 3 of 2008, as well as extensive additional commonwealth reporting requirements,” Brown said. “While there is legislation that has been introduced this year and in past sessions regarding increased transparency and accountability, nothing has been approved by the General Assembly. We look forward to engaging with lawmakers on this topic further as the legislative process continues.”
Susan Jones is editor of the University Times. Reach her at suejones@pitt.edu or 724-244-4042.
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