On February 19, 2026, the Pennsylvania State Board of Higher Education (SBHE) voted unanimously to adopt a strategic plan for higher education – Pennsylvania’s first in more than two decades – designed to support and align the higher education sector, increase affordability and degree attainment, and strengthen the economic well-being of Pennsylvania communities.

Driving a Prosperous Pennsylvania: A Statewide Agenda for Higher Education was developed through an extensive public engagement process that elicited feedback from more than 1,300 Pennsylvanians. Building on the strengths of Pennsylvania’s colleges and universities, the plan calls for coordination to align resources, policies, and efforts to address the pressing needs of the higher education sector. The plan is based on the premise that affordable, world-class postsecondary education fuels Pennsylvania’s economy and provides affordable pathways to good-paying, family-sustaining careers.

The plan is anchored in six goals that include increasing postsecondary attainment, creating affordable pathways to postsecondary credentials, supporting the economic and workforce development needs of the Commonwealth, ensuring accountability and the efficient, effective use of state funds, and strengthening the fiscal health and stability of the sector.

Driving a Prosperous Pennsylvania has received strong support from a wide array of stakeholders who have endorsed the Board’s collaborative approach to developing the plan and its emphasis on economic prosperity.

Created in 2024, the SBHE provides leadership, capacity and support to higher education, industry, and the public sector to achieve critical economic development, workforce, and educational benefits for the Commonwealth. To read what stakeholders have to say about the plan and to read the entire press release, click here.