PRINTER'S NO. 3320
No. 2455 Session of 2000
INTRODUCED BY HERMAN, McILHATTAN, STEELMAN, ARGALL, BAKER,
BATTISTO, BELFANTI, BLAUM, CLARK, M. COHEN, DALEY, FAIRCHILD,
FREEMAN, GEORGE, LAUGHLIN, MANDERINO, McCALL, PESCI, PETRONE,
READSHAW, RUBLEY, SATHER, SEYFERT, TIGUE, TRELLO, TRICH,
WALKO, WILT AND WOJNAROSKI, APRIL 11, 2000
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION, APRIL 11, 2000
AN ACT
1 Amending the act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), entitled "An
2 act relating to the public school system, including certain
3 provisions applicable as well to private and parochial
4 schools; amending, revising, consolidating and changing the
5 laws relating thereto," establishing a tuition containment
6 grant program for eligible institutions which limit the
7 annual increases in tuition and fees.
8 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
9 hereby enacts as follows:
10 Section 1. The act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), known
11 as the Public School Code of 1949, is amended by adding an
12 article to read:
13 ARTICLE XXVI-I.
14 TUITION CONTAINMENT GRANTS.
15 Section 2601-I. Short Title.--This article shall be known
16 and may be cited as the Tuition Containment Grant Program.
17 Section 2602-I. Legislative Intent.--It is the intent of the
18 General Assembly to foster increased access to higher education
19 in this Commonwealth. There exists a need to educate a growing
1 proportion of youths and adults in order to meet the changing
2 needs of society and the challenge of global competition. A
3 college degree provides those people with increased earning
4 potential. As a result of the rapid increase in tuition, college
5 has become increasingly unaffordable. The proportion of freshmen
6 who drop out of college has reached a record high, while at the
7 same time the proportion of students who finish their degrees
8 within five years has declined. Therefore, it is the purpose of
9 this article to establish a program that limits the rate of
10 increase in tuition and fees at the State-owned universities and
11 the State-related universities.
12 Section 2603-I. Definitions.--When used in this article, the
13 following words and phrases shall have the following meanings:
14 "Eligible institution" shall mean a State-owned institution
15 or a State-related institution.
16 "Full-time equivalent students" shall mean the enrollment in
17 programs at eligible institutions expressed in terms of full-
18 time students as determined by the Department of Education.
19 "Grant" shall mean a Tuition Containment Grant awarded under
20 this article.
21 "State-owned institution" shall mean a member institution of
22 the State System of Higher Education.
23 "State-related institutions" shall mean The Pennsylvania
24 State University, the University of Pittsburgh, Temple
25 University and Lincoln University and their branch campuses.
26 Section 2604-I. Eligibility for Grant.--Any eligible
27 institution which limits the annual increase in tuition and fees
28 to four percent (4%) or less may be eligible for a grant under
29 this article, provided the General Assembly makes an
30 appropriation for grants under this article.
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1 Section 2605-I. Determination of Grant.--Individual
2 institutional grants shall be determined by dividing the
3 weighted number of students at all eligible institutions into
4 the total appropriated amount and then multiplying the result by
5 the individual institution's weighted number of students.
6 Section 2606-I. Weighting of Students.--For an eligible
7 institution whose rate of increase in tuition and fees is
8 greater than two percent (2%) but at or below four percent (4%),
9 the number of students shall not be weighted. For an eligible
10 institution whose rate of increase for tuition and fees is
11 greater than zero percent (0%) but equal to or less than two
12 percent (2%), the number of students shall be weighted as
13 double. For an eligible institution which has no increase in
14 tuition and fees, the number of students shall be weighted as
15 triple.
16 Section 2607-I. Restriction on Fees.--No institution that
17 receives a Tuition Containment Grant may establish a new fee or
18 increase an existing fee by more than the projected rate of
19 inflation unless it has been approved by the Secretary of
20 Education.
21 Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2000.
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