University leaders, senators set to talk - Anne Danahy, Centre Daily Times

What would it would mean for Penn State and its students if the university became private? That is one of the question lawmakers will likely consider during a hearing the state Senate Appropriations Committee is holding Wednesday in Harrisburg. State Sen. Jake Corman, R-Benner Township, is chairman of the committee, which will hear from all four of the state-related universities — the University of Pittsburgh, Lincoln, Temple and Penn State. Gov. Tom Corbett has proposed cutting funding for the four universities by 30 percent. The state cut its support for the schools by 20 percent this fiscal year. Corbett has formed an advisory panel to study higher education in the state, and how to make it affordable and match what students learn with employers’ needs.