Education
Student Funding Reform
Pennsylvania ranks among the nation’s leaders in education spending per student. Although spending levels are high, the system for distributing state funding is outdated. Weighted student funding (WSF) is a…
Fact Sheet
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Harmed by “Hold Harmless”
There are few more egregious examples of political doublespeak than Pennsylvania’s “hold harmless” provision for state education funding. Hold harmless guarantees each school district receives no fewer state education dollars…
Media
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Penn State Loophole Closed, Taxpayers Get Accountability
More accountability is in the works for Pennsylvania universities. Earlier this week, the House State Government Committee considered legislation requiring Pennsylvania’s four state-related universities to comply with the Right-to-Know Law.
Media
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Temple Tuition Tamp-Down Shows Wake-Up Calls Work
During last year’s budget season, I was pretty critical of Temple University for raising tuition by ten percent while its administrators joined in the Chicken Little routine (“The sky…
Media
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Pennsylvania’s Public Universities Have Indigestion
If you ask them, they'll say they're hurting because budget-slashing Gov. Tom Corbett just forced something nasty down their throats—namely cuts to the subsidies they receive from Keystone State taxpayers. …
Commentary
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University Subsidy Bills Nixed, What Now?
Last night, Pennsylvania House Democrats voted to defeat legislation on state subsidies for Penn State University, the University of Pittsburgh, and Temple University, as well as for…
Media
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Questions for Appropriators on Higher Education
Since Gov. Corbett presented a budget which reduced state taxpayer funding for institutions including Penn State, Temple, Pitt, and the State System of Higher Education, college administrators, faculty and lobbyists…
Media
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Understanding Real vs. “Sticker Price” Tuition
A common misconception in debating higher education funding is that the posted rate of tuition, or “sticker price,” is what students actually pay. This is exemplified in a commentary…
Media
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Minimum Wage Insanity
Let’s start with sanity, some logic. Theorem: A firm cannot pay workers more than the value that they add to the firm and remain in business.Corollary 1: Imposing a…
Media
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