PRINTER'S NO. 3352
No. 414 Session of 1998
INTRODUCED BY WILT, CALTAGIRONE, CAPPABIANCA, KAISER, ALLEN, DEMPSEY, BOYES, CLYMER, DRUCE, PISTELLA, KENNEY, MASLAND, M. COHEN, ORIE, COLAIZZO, DALLY, LESCOVITZ, ARGALL, FORCIER, STABACK, BOSCOLA, HENNESSEY, DENT, SCRIMENTI AND D. W. SNYDER, APRIL 1, 1998
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON RULES, APRIL 1, 1998
A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 1 Directing the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee to 2 examine or analyze the family characteristics of 3 undergraduate students attending associate and baccalaureate 4 degree-granting colleges and universities in Pennsylvania. 5 WHEREAS, Tuition increases at both public and private 6 institutions of higher education have caused concern for 7 Pennsylvania's families; and 8 WHEREAS, Despite these tuition increases, ever greater 9 percentages of Pennsylvania high school graduates have been 10 attending some form of postsecondary education upon graduation 11 from high school in recent years; and 12 WHEREAS, Increasingly large numbers of adults are returning 13 to colleges, universities and technical schools; and 14 WHEREAS, These ever increasing numbers of students are 15 attending Pennsylvania's postsecondary institutions because 16 today's economy requires more advanced education in order to 17 obtain a good-paying job; and
1 WHEREAS, The General Assembly has appropriated over $1.5 2 billion in the 1997-1998 fiscal year to subsidize the higher 3 education of Pennsylvania residents; and 4 WHEREAS, Despite this generous support from the State, the 5 increasing numbers of students attending higher education 6 institutions strains the Commonwealth's ability to provide 7 generous subsidies to all who attend; and 8 WHEREAS, The General Assembly can only spend a limited amount 9 of State taxpayer resources on higher education; and 10 WHEREAS, Without the State's large independent sector of 11 higher education, which enrolls 40% of the students and whose 12 students receive a much smaller State subsidy for their 13 education than students attending public universities, the 14 Commonwealth's ability to provide generous subsidies for higher 15 education would be strained even further; and 16 WHEREAS, Numerous news accounts report that students and 17 families have been assuming larger amounts of debt in order to 18 finance their higher education; and 19 WHEREAS, State policymakers need more detailed information 20 about how much subsidy they are providing to students and 21 families from different economic levels attending the various 22 sectors of higher education in this Commonwealth in order to 23 establish the best policies for funding higher education; 24 therefore be it 25 RESOLVED (the Senate concurring), That the General Assembly 26 direct the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee to examine 27 the family characteristics of undergraduate students attending 28 associate and baccalaureate degree-granting colleges and 29 universities in Pennsylvania; and be it further 30 RESOLVED, That education and income levels as well as the 19980H0414R3352 - 2 -
1 methods and proportionate mix of resources used to finance the 2 postsecondary education of these students be given primary 3 attention; and be it further 4 RESOLVED, That the committee shall cooperate with both public 5 and independent colleges and universities and the Pennsylvania 6 Higher Education Assistance Agency in the design and 7 implementation of the study, including the development of a 8 stratified student sample on which the analysis will be based; 9 and be it further 10 RESOLVED, That the committee shall have the power and may 11 engage an impartial, professional firm with the ability and 12 experience required to perform this task; and be it further 13 RESOLVED, That the committee issue its findings to the 14 Governor, the General Assembly, the Secretary of Education and 15 the State Board of Education no later than October 1, 1998. J21L82DMS/19980H0414R3352 - 3 -