The state budget signed late Thursday by Gov. Tom Corbett includes more funding than anticipated for Pennsylvania College of Technology. Penn College President Davie Jane Gilmour had said that, if the governor signed the budget as submitted, the bulk of the fundswould help the college reduce the 2011-12 tuition increase for students to 2.99 percent.
The state budget includes appropriations of $13,584,000 for Penn College $715,000 more than the amount included in the budget approved June 23 by the Penn College Board of Directors. As promised, $673,000 of the funding will be used for reducing the tuition increase from 4.08 percent to 2.99 percent.
"When the Penn College budget was passed, I stated that if we were to receive unexpected additional funding from the state our primary goal would be to ease the tuition increase for students," Gilmour said. "I'm pleased to announce that these funds will enable us to keep our pledge to students and their families. For a Pennsylvania resident enrolled for a typical 30-credit load over two semesters in 2011-12, total tuition and fees will be $13,590 a savings of $120 from the amount originally approved at our June board meeting."
"We are grateful to the area legislators who serve on our board, Sen. Gene Yaw and Rep. Garth Everett, for their efforts to help secure funds for Penn College," Gilmour added.
The college administration has also been informed that The Pennsylvania State University (Penn College is a special mission affiliate of Penn State) will continue to provide the college with a special appropriation of $396,000. The special appropriation was not included in the Penn College budget approved last week. Those funds, together with the remaining $42,000 of state appropriations, will be used to fund capital-equipment and renovation projects.