pa-higher-education

Pennsylvania Capitol Building. May 24, 2022. Harrisburg, Pa. (Photo by Amanda Berg, for the Capital-Star).

With political and legislative hurdles remaining, Pa. budget is far from Shapiro’s desk

BY: - July 7, 2023

Other legislative goals passed in the House this session include statute of limitations reform to provide legal relief to sexual abuse victims, the extension of anti-discrimination laws to LGBTQ+ people and a minimum wage increase tied to inflation, Bradford said.

House Republicans warn state budget could be late as they push back on Democrats’ proposal

BY: - June 22, 2023

House Republican leaders criticized the Democratic majority for waiting too long to begin the budget negotiation process.

What monkeypox outbreak? Little planning by colleges as students resume classes

BY: - August 22, 2022

As students return to campus, higher education plans for dealing with monkeypox appear opaque or nonexistent.

What legislation did Gov. Tom Wolf approve or veto during budget season?

BY: - July 13, 2022

In a flurry of budget season legislation, Gov. Tom Wolf vetoed Republican-backed bills dealing with poll watchers, transgender athletes, and energy policy and approved laws on election funding, affordable housing and a loophole that can let people who commit serious crimes get away with a ticket.

COMMENTARY

Happy 185th birthday to Cheyney University: America’s first HBCU | Michael Coard

BY: - February 22, 2022

The Philadelphia institution celebrates on Feb. 25. It's not getting older - it's getting better.

Students defrauded by for-profit colleges to get millions in loan repayments

BY: - February 17, 2022

The impacted institutions include DeVry University, which has 40 locations in 18 states, including Pennsylvania

COMMENTARY

Amid renewed push to expand Pell Grant eligibility, Pa. must remove barriers for students | Opinion

BY: - September 20, 2021

Launched in 2015, the Second Chance Pell experiment provides Pell Grants to incarcerated men and women for enrollment in postsecondary education programs provided in state and federal prisons. Through these learning opportunities, incarcerated adults can earn an associate of arts degree, industry-recognized certificates, or general coursework that will ultimately boost their opportunities for employment when they re-enter society.

COMMENTARY

With merger vote looming: Do we want universities that help us remember and reimagine Pa.? | Opinion

BY: - July 11, 2021

Place-based, regional public universities improve our shared understanding of our history and our contemporary opportunities.

COMMENTARY

The University of All of Them: PASSHE merger mania is on the fast track | Fletcher McClellan

BY: - June 25, 2021

Though it appears the fix is in, many questions about PASSHE system redesign still remain.

A risky wager? What supporters and opponents are saying about Wolf’s Nellie Bly scholarship proposal

BY: - April 11, 2021

The Wolf administration has touted the plan as a way to boost higher education funding for students in need, and to relieve some of the pressure the commonwealth is feeling from the ongoing “brain drain” crisis and declining enrollment at state-system schools.

COMMENTARY

The daunting task of reshaping PASSHE | Opinion

BY: - December 22, 2020

The 14-school system’s enrollment has plunged by 21 percent from its 2010 peak of 119,513 students. But while the student census has, on net, fallen precipitously, commensurate reductions in faculty, other staffing and standalone institutions that kept costs unacceptably high were not considered.