Philadelphia Inquirer, November 22, 2010
Pennsylvania State University dwarfs all the commonwealth’s other institutions of higher learning, public and private. According to the university’s own statistics, one out of every 127 American college-degree holders is a Penn State graduate!
The university has managed to thrive despite a steady decline in state funding. In the 1970s state support accounted for 60 to 70% of the total, but even before the recession hit two years ago, contributions from Harrisburg had fallen to only 11 percent of the school’s budget. Since then, the amount has dropped to 6 percent. And given the cost-cutting campaign promises made by Gov.-elect Tom Corbett, the trend seems destined to continue.
