Governor Shapiro Leads Major Higher Education Reform with Ceremonial Bill Signing at Shippensburg University

Today, Governor Josh Shapiro and Pennsylvania Department of Education Secretary Dr. Khalid N. Mumin were joined by higher education leaders and students at Shippensburg University for a ceremonial bill signing of the higher education reforms that Governor Shapiro signed into law last week as part of the 2024-25 budget.

The 2024-25 budget makes the first significant progress on higher education in three decades and delivers on the Governor’s key priorities to give Pennsylvanians the freedom to chart their own course and the opportunity to succeed.

“Every Pennsylvanian deserves the freedom to chart their own course and the opportunity to succeed – and that’s exactly what this budget delivers,” said Governor Shapiro. “My Administration has made higher education a priority again, and this budget represents the first significant progress on higher education in 30 years. It delivers real opportunity for our students and ensures that higher education will serve as an economic driver in this Commonwealth for generations to come.”

 

“Since taking office, Governor Shapiro has been clear that he expects the Department of Education to take the bold steps needed to reimagine education in the Commonwealth – from pre-K to postsecondary,” said Sec. Mumin. “As stewards of education in the Commonwealth, we are working hard every day to create more opportunity for Pennsylvania students. Now, with the budget Governor Shapiro signed into law, we are building a stronger higher education system that will be better coordinated to meet Pennsylvania’s long-term needs.”

In his first budget address, Governor Shapiro called on state leaders to rethink higher education in the Commonwealth. Over the past year and a half, the Shapiro Administration brought together stakeholders, legislators, higher education leaders, union members, students, families, and more to have meaningful conversations about higher education in Pennsylvania, and to build on the Administration’s blueprint.

Now, Pennsylvania has a budget that delivers real solutions for higher education.

This budget:

• Creates 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.

• Invests 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.

• 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.

• Doubles funding for student teacher stipends for a total of $20 million to ensure student teachers are compensated for their hard work. The Governor was joined for a ceremonial bill signing by Cindy Shapira, Chair of the PASSHE Board of Governors, Dr. Charles E. Patterson, President of Shippensburg University, Bill August, Shippensburg Area School District Superintendent, and Laci Hoover, an education student at Shippensburg University

“With the leadership of our Governor and the strong support of our General Assembly and other important stakeholders, Pennsylvania has passed a package of bills that not only provides investment in our community colleges and PASSHE and other institutions, but also path breaking reform in our higher education coordination, alignment, and funding based on desired outcomes,” said Cynthia D. Shapira, PASSHE Board Chair. “Governor Shapiro was out in the front on this, laying the stake in the ground in his first and then second budget address for the state to produce and implement a blueprint for higher education.”

“We are grateful for the work of Governor Shapiro and the Generally Assembly in passing a budget that supports and advances the mission of higher education in Pennsylvania,” said Dr. Charles E. Patterson, President of Shippensburg University. “All Pennsylvanians will benefit from the initiatives prioritized in this budget and we are honored to continue forward with the charge of educating the Commonwealth’s workforce in a variety of ways.”

“Public schools like mine absolutely depend on the pipeline of new teachers that distinguished schools like Shippensburg University provide to us,” said Bill August, Shippensburg Area School District Superintendent. “Shippensburg Area School District certainly benefits from our proximity to, and relationships with, Shippensburg University and the other PASSHE schools. But even with these advantages, we and many other districts are still struggling to meet our hiring needs. Governor Shapiro’s prioritization of funding for higher education is exactly what needed to happen to help with this problem, and its impact goes beyond just the institutions themselves. The Governor’s budget opens the door of opportunity wider by providing significant increases in available resources to make college more obtainable for all students in Pennsylvania.” “I am thrilled to hear that Governor Shapiro is making it easier for pre-service teachers like me to take advantage of Pennsylvania’s higher education system,” said Laci Hoover, a student at Shippensburg University. “This money is vital to making these careers a possibility for people like me. It ensures our classrooms are staffed by trained, dedicated, and talented educators for years to come.”

“I am thrilled to hear that Governor Shapiro is making it easier for pre-service teachers like me to take advantage of Pennsylvania’s higher education system,” said Laci Hoover, a student at Shippensburg University. “This money is vital to making these careers a possibility for people like me. It ensures our classrooms are staffed by trained, dedicated, and talented educators for years to come.”

 

For more information on how the 2024-25 budget will create opportunity for Pennsylvanians, visit shapirobudget.pa.gov.

Click here to view this press release from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.