Penn State plans to slash $94M from budget, including deep cuts to Commonwealth Campuses
Spotlight PA link: https://www.spotlightpa.org/statecollege/2024/01/penn-state-budget-cuts-commonwealth-campuses-bendapudi/
STATE COLLEGE Penn State University plans to slash $94 million from its budget starting in July 2025, changes it says are necessary for its long-term stability and success. A significant portion of the budget cuts will affect the Commonwealth Campuses, which are slated to lose $54 million in funding, according to the universitys budget office. Penn States Board of Trustees will vote on the budget plan this summer.
President Neeli Bendapudis administration is attempting to balance the universitys budget by 2025. Under her leadership, Penn State moved to a two-year budget model to provide more predictability and stability to its financial planning. Handling the universitys multimillion-dollar budget deficit has been an ongoing challenge for Bendapudi since she became president in May 2022.
The need for change within our University is undeniable and must occur for Penn State to retain its status as a leading institution, to innovate, and to invest in greatness at scale in education and research, Bendapudi said in the universitys announcement.
Penn State said its financial challenges stem from inflation, demographic changes, and increasing personnel costs, including an anticipated $30 million increase in health care expenses in 2025. The announcement also said that neither tuition rates, which Penn States Board of Trustees control, nor the state legislatures support, have kept pace with inflation. The announcement did not include information about or estimates of layoffs.
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Commonwealth Campuses are otherwise known as "satellite campuses" at other large state universities. They are the smaller schools that confer 2-year associates' degrees, and they also prepare bachelors' candidates for further study at the main campus in University Park. Pennsylvania has 20 such Commonwealth (satellite) campuses: