Harrisburg, Pa. − June 8, 2026 − Senator Lindsey M. Williams (D-Allegheny) issues this statement following the Performance-Based Funding Council’s vote to approve the inaugural Performance Goals and Student Weights for distributing funding to three Pennsylvania State-Related Universities: University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania State University, and Temple University.
“Pennsylvania should have a well-resourced, thriving higher education landscape where all students who want to go to college can – and where they receive the supports needed to succeed. As a first-generation college student myself, and a proud daughter who watched my mom return to community college and complete her associate degree as an adult, I understand how education changes lives.
But it has to be affordable. Pennsylvania currently ranks 49th in the country for higher education funding per student. This lack of investment comes at a real cost. 64% of Pennsylvania college graduates carry student loan debt, the third most in the nation. While I remain skeptical of the long-term impacts of performance-based funding, the weights adopted today incentivize Pennsylvania’s State-Related Universities to educate low-income students, students who have transferred from community colleges, and students who come from less resourced school districts.
The General Assembly must do more to ensure that our state-related universities, PASSHE schools, and community colleges are affordable. Today’s vote is a step towards giving more students a real chance at higher education.”
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The Performance-Based Funding Council was established by Act 90 of 2024 and is charged with developing a process to distribute funding to Pennsylvania’s State-related universities (Penn State, Pitt, and Temple). The process must utilize performance-based metrics designed to increase degree attainment, encourage affordability in higher education, meet workforce needs and grow the economy. The Council provided its final report to the Governor and the General Assembly on May 5, 2025.