A mid-year budget freeze requested by Gov. Tom Corbett for the State System of Higher Education has some local educational organizations up in arms.
The request, which stops about $160 million in allocated funds for all state agencies, freezes about 3 percent of the funds for state universities and colleges. The cut comes six months after the governor signed a budget that reduced funding for the State System by 18 percent. "We are absolutely and unequivocally opposed to this request," said Debra Cornelius, former president of the Shippensburg University Association of Pennsylvania State College and University Facilities and a professor of sociology at the school. "This request shows the governor's lack of respect for the hard-working families of Pennsylvania. It really is cheating the students and their families out of the high quality education they deserve." Larger class sizes and a reduction in student services are just some of the results Cornelius said have occurred as a result of the June budget cuts.
