Senate Committee Unanimously Advances Tartaglione-Costa Legislation to Fund PA Higher Education Institutions

Senate Committee Unanimously Advances Tartaglione-Costa Legislation to Fund PA Higher Education Institutions

Community colleges, state-related universities, and a technical school would be awarded a combined $130 million in CARES Act funding to cover COVID-related costs.

Philadelphia, PA – September 9, 2020 − The Pennsylvania Senate Appropriations Committee today advanced legislation sponsored by State Senator Christine Tartaglione and Senate Democratic Leader Jay Costa that would allocate $130 million in federal CARES Act funding to help higher education institutions in the Commonwealth manage financial hardships caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Senate Bill 1226 proposes to grant $35 million to Pennsylvania’s community colleges, $25 million each to Temple University, the University of Pittsburgh, and Penn State University, $10 million to Lincoln University, and $10 million to Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology. Previously, the Senate adopted legislation to allocate more than $72 million in federal CARES Act funding to PA State System of Higher Education universities and to the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency.

The Appropriations Committee adopted SB1226 unanimously. The legislation will advance to the full Senate for consideration.

“Pennsylvania’s state-related institutions, community colleges, and technical schools have suffered great financial setbacks due to the pandemic,” Senator Tartaglione said. “Despite these challenges, our higher education community has responded to this crisis in numerous ways to assist students and the entire Commonwealth as we navigate this uncharted territory.”

“Shuttering campuses; transitioning to distance learning; refunding room, board, and activities fees; and the potential loss of enrollment have all caused financial hardship and uncertainty for these institutions. They have already received some federal funding, but more must be done to help sustain them through this difficult time.”

In keeping with federal requirements, all CARES Act funds will be used to cover costs incurred by the recipients due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

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If you would like more information about this topic, please contact William Kenny at 215-533-0440 or William.Kenny@pasenate.com.