PRINTER'S NO. 3206
No. 379 Session of 1998
INTRODUCED BY DRUCE, STAIRS, COWELL, LYNCH, MASLAND, FICHTER,
McCALL, WAUGH, HERMAN, HENNESSEY, BATTISTO, PIPPY, SAYLOR,
VANCE, MELIO, GEIST, NAILOR, STABACK, DENT, SCHRODER, KAISER,
READSHAW, ITKIN, CORPORA, PETRARCA, MAHER, BARRAR,
YOUNGBLOOD, OLASZ, RUBLEY, PESCI, MAITLAND, SHANER,
COLAFELLA, HERSHEY, McNAUGHTON, TRELLO, MILLER, ARGALL,
BROWNE, SCHULER, LAUGHLIN, M. COHEN, DALLY, E. Z. TAYLOR,
ORIE, SEYFERT, BENNINGHOFF AND WILT, MARCH 18, 1998
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON RULES, MARCH 18, 1998
A RESOLUTION
1 Directing the Subcommittee on Higher Education of the Committee
2 on Education to study the increasing student cost of
3 postsecondary education.
4 WHEREAS, A postsecondary education is of extraordinary value
5 to Commonwealth residents as it is essential for many
6 professions or occupations today, and education is an investment
7 in work force development; and
8 WHEREAS, The cost of postsecondary education in this
9 Commonwealth continues to rise, putting it out of reach of many
10 of our neediest citizens; and
11 WHEREAS, The cost of postsecondary education forces many
12 middle-income Pennsylvania families to struggle to afford a
13 postsecondary education; and
14 WHEREAS, The National Commission on the Cost of Higher
15 Education recently completed its report on college costs,
1 "Straight Talk about College Costs and Prices," which identified
2 several issues of concern for national and state policymakers;
3 and
4 WHEREAS, The Commonwealth annually appropriates approximately
5 $1.6 billion for higher education, with additional Federal,
6 local and private funds supplementing that amount; and
7 WHEREAS, Good public policy requires the Commonwealth to
8 assess the priorities among postsecondary education
9 opportunities and to provide State funding where it can be most
10 beneficial to the current and future educational and economic
11 health of Pennsylvania; therefore be it
12 RESOLVED, That the Subcommittee on Higher Education of the
13 Committee on Education conduct a thorough study of student costs
14 to attend this Commonwealth's institutions of postsecondary
15 education: public, private, not-for-profit and proprietary
16 institutions and credit and noncredit programs; and be it
17 further
18 RESOLVED, That the subcommittee define the measurements of
19 postsecondary education costs and identify factors which serve
20 to increase or decrease those costs; and be it further
21 RESOLVED, That the subcommittee study the trends which have
22 an impact upon those factors, including the effect of State
23 statutes and regulations governing higher education, student
24 financial aid and financial support for institutions; and be it
25 further
26 RESOLVED, That the subcommittee evaluate the missions of the
27 various postsecondary sectors as areas of priority funding; and
28 be it further
29 RESOLVED, That the subcommittee forecast the adequacy of the
30 State's current financial support to keep the cost of acquiring
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1 a postsecondary education affordable; and be it further
2 RESOLVED, That the subcommittee conduct hearings and have
3 discussions with groups of business leaders; labor leaders;
4 representatives of the postsecondary education community,
5 including administrators, faculty, students and their families;
6 and the public regarding programs of State priorities and
7 performance standards to which State funding should be related;
8 and be it further
9 RESOLVED, That the subcommittee publish its findings and
10 provide a list of recommendations to the House of
11 Representatives no later than November 30, 1998, at which time
12 its duties shall expire unless otherwise extended by a vote of
13 the House of Representatives.
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