With the passage of the 2024-25 Pennsylvania budget, higher education in the commonwealth received the following:

-The creation of a new State Board of Higher Education that will, for the first time, coordinate every sector of higher education in Pennsylvania and utilize student-level data to determine what’s working and what’s not. The board will ensure higher education in Pennsylvania supports critical workforce needs and serves as an economic driver for generations to come. The board will also create a performance-based funding council that will develop recommendations on how to create a performance-based funding formula to drive funds to state-related institutions.

-Investments in public higher education institutions, including a $15.7 million increase – a 6 percent increase – for community colleges and $35.1 million increase for PASSHE schools – also a 6 percent increase.

-Funds to makes higher education more affordable for students with over $120 million in increased funding for scholarships and grants, including $28 million for scholarships to students pursuing a degree in a high-demand field, a $54 million increase to PHEAA student grants, and $5 million for disadvantaged students’ scholarships.

-Double the funding for student teacher stipends for a total of $20 million to ensure student teachers are compensated for their hard work. For more information, click here.