Penn State, which plans its budgets two years out, released a budget snapshot of how much it will allocate to its colleges and campuses in the 2027-28 fiscal year, including leaving out the seven campuses it is in the process of shutting down.
Of the other campuses and colleges, some are going to get increases in funding, while others will see decreases.
The university uses student enrollment numbers as the primary factor for deciding how much money colleges and campuses get.
In a news release, Penn State President Neeli Bendapudi says this approach lets the university "react swiftly to changing student needs, interests and priorities; quickly identify and invest in academic and research growth opportunities; and fund initiatives that are core to our strategic vision.”
The seven closing campuses — including DuBois, Wilkes-Barre and Mont Alto — are slated to end operations before fall 2027, when this budget year begins. They are not included in the budget overview.
The budget also zeroes out funding for WPSU. The university and Philadelphia-based WHYY are working on an agreement to transfer WPSU to WHYY by this July. That’s expected to allow WPSU to continue operations.
The university’s trustees will vote on the full budget at their July meeting.
State Budget
In other budget news, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro has proposed allocating an additional pool of $30 million for Penn State, Pitt and Temple. The money would be for the new state-related performance-based funding. Shapiro presented it as part of his proposed budget for the 2026-27 fiscal year. Otherwise, that includes flat funding for Penn State.
