Pitt Proposes 2% Tuition Increase; Balanced Budget

[pittchagg]

Missed this given the, uh, prominent international news event that took place in the region this weekend.

Pitt raises in-state tuition on its main campus by 2%

Tuition for in-state undergraduate and graduate students at the University of Pittsburgh will rise 2% for the upcoming academic year. Tuition will be held flat at regional campuses. The rates were announced as part of Pitt’s $3.2 billion operating budget and $265.2 million capital budget for...

triblive.com

In short, the state passed the budget last week, and Pitt’s appropriation was flat from the year before - about $150M. The law requires for Pitt to spend every dollar of it on the in-state tuition discount. The $150M makes up about 50% of the total expenditure for the in-state discount. Pitt is raising tuition by 2%, or about $200 a semester for in state, $440 for out of state. This is the same percentage increase as last year.

Pitt is also investing $300M for financial aid (not including the $150M appropriation), which is a 45% increase from five years ago.

And, more importantly, the budget is balanced - a growing rarity in an era where many private and public schools are facing large deficits - Penn State reported a deficit of $63M last year, for example. It indicates the overall very strong health of Pitt as an institution, which eventually also filters down to athletics.

 

[pittdan77]

And, more importantly, the budget is balanced - a growing rarity in an era where many private and public schools are facing large deficits - Penn State reported a deficit of $63M last year, for example. It indicates the overall very strong health of Pitt as an institution, which eventually also filters down to athletics.

Heard a rumor, nothing more, from a current employee of PSU that there is talk of shutting down some of the branch campuses.

 

[Farnox]

Heard a rumor, nothing more, from a current employee of PSU that there is talk of shutting down some of the branch campuses.

It's becoming unsustainable.

 

[joefromlancaster]

Would love to see ups shut down some of there branch campuses. After all the branch campuses are like cockroaches, there everywhere!

 

[pittchagg]

Heard a rumor, nothing more, from a current employee of PSU that there is talk of shutting down some of the branch campuses.

It’s both the right thing to do financially and otherwise for them, and will also inevitably result in a ton of consternation and hassle by the legislature, especially the ones from the areas that are going to have their branch shuttered and have those employees lose their jobs and benefits.

Meanwhile, Pitt is rock steady, growing, getting better students and is on financially healthy footing. Not a bad spot to be in.

 

[pittdan77]

It’s both the right thing to do financially and otherwise for them, and will also inevitably result in a ton of consternation and hassle by the legislature, especially the ones from the areas that are going to have their branch shuttered and have those employees lose their jobs and benefits.

Meanwhile, Pitt is rock steady, growing, getting better students and is on financially healthy footing. Not a bad spot to be in.

Enrollment is down so it really makes sense to consolidate.

 

[CrazyPaco]

It’s both the right thing to do financially and otherwise for them, and will also inevitably result in a ton of consternation and hassle by the legislature, especially the ones from the areas that are going to have their branch shuttered and have those employees lose their jobs and benefits.

Meanwhile, Pitt is rock steady, growing, getting better students and is on financially healthy footing. Not a bad spot to be in.

Penn State had a budget deficit of $200m for the 2021-22 FY, and it recently cut 10% of their branch campus staff, and is planning nearly another $100m in budget cuts for 2025-26.

Comparatively, Pitt is very healthy and continues to balance its books. That said, it has been bleeding students from the 4 regionals. Titusville has already essentially been closed in its conversion to a regional training hub and its management had previously been moved under Bradford. Always tiny, it made sense because two year schools just aren't in demand unless they are at community college pricing.

But Johnstown, Greensburg, and Bradford continue to struggle to attract students. Pittsburgh campus grad program enrollments are also down, which is why you saw the targeting of increase enrollment there.

So how to improve enrollment at the regionals? PItt is investing in more programs at these schools. UPJ now has a full 4-year bachelors in engineering program (enhanced from the prior engineering tech), Greensburg is opening a branch of the Frederick Honors College positioning itself as the liberal arts campus, and Bradford started an engineering tech program. Tuition is lower at these schools than the Oakland campus, but despite being their own full fledged residential 4-year colleges and all receiving accolatdes in US News regional rankings, they still seem to suffer from the "branch campus" stigma, which is a shame, because they aren't anything like the PSU branch filter schools.

Also, just as a side bar, it is amazing how much bigger, acerage wise, they are than the Oakland campus (much of it unused land).
UPJ: 651 acres
UPB: 445 acres
UPG: 200 acres
Pitt (oakland): 189 acres
UPT: 8 acres

Pitt owns a lot more land than this though.

 

[pittchagg]

Penn State had a budget deficit of $200m for the 2021-22 FY, and it recently cut 10% of their branch campus staff, and is planning nearly another $100m in budget cuts for 2025-26.

Comparatively, Pitt is very healthy and continues to balance its books. That said, it has been bleeding students from the 4 regionals. Titusville has already essentially been closed in its conversion to a regional training hub and its management had previously been moved under Bradford. Always tiny, it made sense because two year schools just aren't in demand unless they are at community college pricing.

But Johnstown, Greensburg, and Bradford continue to struggle to attract students. Pittsburgh campus grad program enrollments are also down, which is why you saw the targeting of increase enrollment there.

So how to improve enrollment at the regionals? PItt is investing in more programs at these schools. UPJ now has a full 4-year bachelors in engineering program (enhanced from the prior engineering tech), Greensburg is opening a branch of the Frederick Honors College positioning itself as the liberal arts campus, and Bradford started an engineering tech program. Tuition is lower at these schools than the Oakland campus, but despite being their own full fledged residential 4-year colleges and all receiving accolatdes in US News regional rankings, they still seem to suffer from the "branch campus" stigma, which is a shame, because they aren't anything like the PSU branch filer schools.

Also, just as a side bar, it is amazing how much bigger, acerage wise, they are than the Oakland campus (much of it unused land).
UPJ: 651 acres
UPB: 445 acres
UPG: 200 acres
Pitt (oakland): 189 acres
UPT: 8 acres

Pitt owns a lot more land than this though.

To your last point, there was an interesting article in last week’s university times about the 6,000 acre archeological preserve that Pitt owns outside of Laramie, Wyoming. And there’s also the ecological research facility that Pitt has owned for close to a hundred years outside of Meadville at Lake Pymatuning. I’m sure there are other oddball sites out there - I’m just thinking of the ones that have a clear academic purpose.

 

[CrazyPaco]

To your last point, there was an interesting article in last week’s university times about the 6,000 acre archeological preserve that Pitt owns outside of Laramie, Wyoming. And there’s also the ecological research facility that Pitt has owned for close to a hundred years outside of Meadville at Lake Pymatuning. I’m sure there are other oddball sites out there - I’m just thinking of the ones that have a clear academic purpose.

The Spring Creek Preserve which Pitt owns in Wymoming, and is actually overseen by the Honors College, is only 4,710 acres (so less than 6K).

The Pymatuning Laboratory of Ecology is overseen by the Department of Biology. It is about 276 acres that Pitt owns or controls (i.e., by control, I mean Pitt manages and operates the facilities but the Commonwealth has the deed to the property, and such arrangements are the same as, for expample, Hillman Library and the Barco Law School building).

Pitt has not yet sold UPARC which is in Harmar Township and is about 93 acres. It was trying to divest of that but is still on the books as Pitt's.

There are a couple other properties scattered around Pittsburgh, like the 2 acres the Allegheny Observatory sits on, or 3.25 acres that BioForge is going to be built on, or nearly 5 acres that the Thomas Blvd Library archive center sits on.

Total Pitt owned land is about 6,543 acres, and if you add on the land/facilities that the Commonwealth has the actual deed on, there is about 6,600 acres that Pitt controls. Note Pitt has not yet closed on the PAA.

But 72% of land actually owned by Pitt is in Wyoming, which is pretty funny.

 

[pittchagg]

The Spring Creek Preserve which Pitt owns in Wymoming, which is actually overseen by the Honors College, is only 4,710 acres (so less than 6K).

The Pymatuning Laboratory of Ecology is overseen by the Department of Biology. It is about 276 acres that Pitt owns or controls (e.g., the commonwealth owns but Pitt runs).

Total Pitt owned land is about 6,543 acres, and add on the controlled land/facilities that the Commonwealth owns (which includes things like Hillman Library and the Barco Law building), about 6,600.

So 72% of Pitt owned land is in Wyoming, which is pretty funny.

I spent three years at Barco and had no idea that Pitt didn’t own the land where Barco sits. The ecology site makes sense - I know it’s basically right next to the state park property and the PFBC fish hatchery that’s up there, so I could see the state still having the fee interest. The Oakland properties surprise me, though.

I knew Pitt was attempting to divest UPARC, but wasn’t sure on the status. It might be a difficult property to get rid of. I’d try to sell it to the state, or the county, and see if they can do something with it.

The Wyoming property is so interesting, and really something that Pitt should publicize more. The whole story and status of it is honestly commercial-worthy.

 

[CrazyPaco]

I spent three years at Barco and had no idea that Pitt didn’t own the land where Barco sits. The ecology site makes sense - I know it’s basically right next to the state park property and the PFBC fish hatchery that’s up there, so I could see the state still having the fee interest. The Oakland properties surprise me, though.

I knew Pitt was attempting to divest UPARC, but wasn’t sure on the status. It might be a difficult property to get rid of. I’d try to sell it to the state, or the county, and see if they can do something with it.

The Wyoming property is so interesting, and really something that Pitt should publicize more. The whole story and status of it is honestly commercial-worthy.

When Pitt became state-related in the 60s, the Commonwealth acquired some properties for Pitt through various means and then depending on how the funding for construction was managed, sometimes the state's DGS oversees it, the deed is temporarily transferred to the Commonwealth until it is over. But in some cases the land was never transferred to Pitt. The following Pitt buildings, at least the deed to the land, are actually held by the Commonwealth:

Hillman Library and Barco Law building
Information Science Building
Langley and Crawford Halls
Benedum Hall
Sennott Square
Salk Hall
OC lot garage
Center for Biotechnology & Bioengineering

Western Psych is leased to Pitt by the Commonwealth for $1 a year, and then Pitt subleases it to UPMC.

And the city owns the ground Frick Fine Arts sits on.

There are some other minor weird arrangements, and a lot of mixed ownership between Pitt and UPMC around the med center.

At Pymatuning, the Commonwealth has the deed on the Sanctuary Lake site and the housing site.

UPARC issues is I think there are remediation problems with that site. It's a huge site with a lot of structures, but the facilities are run down and out of date. I don't think it is worth it to Pitt to invest in it, although it is a great location for something right off the highway. They aren't going to get much for it, I don't think.

 

[pittdan77]

So how to improve enrollment at the regionals? PItt is investing in more programs at these schools. UPJ now has a full 4-year bachelors in engineering program (enhanced from the prior engineering tech), Greensburg is opening a branch of the Frederick Honors College positioning itself as the liberal arts campus, and Bradford started an engineering tech program. Tuition is lower at these schools than the Oakland campus, but despite being their own full fledged residential 4-year colleges and all receiving accolatdes in US News regional rankings, they still seem to suffer from the "branch campus" stigma, which is a shame, because they aren't anything like the PSU branch filer schools.

I'm most familiar with the Johnstown campus but there is a ton of potential up there.

 

[lilspainishflea]

Enrollment is down so it really makes sense to consolidate.

The enrollment problem is a demographic problem. The Baby Boomers and Millennials were huge age cohorts that also disproportionately (compared to other generations before or since) opted into traditional 4 years colleges. Now, even the youngest millennials are pushing 30 so all of them have finished their 4 year programs. Schools that expanded for decades to service the Boomers and then their kids are finding out that there are fewer and fewer students to maintain enrollment. They've stemmed the bleeding by attracting foreign students but it won't be enough (and with the growing anti-immigration and anti-education sentiment among major portions of the electorate, I expect that to ultimately end or at least be severely curtailed). The state flagships are and will always be fine. School closures are actually driving more applicants to the state flagships as students and families seek safety and a good ROI (nobody wants to explain to an employer that their undergraduate school no longer exists).

Over 800 colleges have closed in the last 20 years. Most were for profit and/or religious schools. Most were already small. Some just merged into larger universities. I suspect that Pitt and Penn State branch campuses will not be immune to these changes.

 

[CrazyPaco]

The enrollment problem is a demographic problem. The Baby Boomers and Millennials were huge age cohorts that also disproportionately (compared to other generations before or since) opted into traditional 4 years colleges. Now, even the youngest millennials are pushing 30 so all of them have finished their 4 year programs. Schools that expanded for decades to service the Boomers and then their kids are finding out that there are fewer and fewer students to maintain enrollment. They've stemmed the bleeding by attracting foreign students but it won't be enough (and with the growing anti-immigration and anti-education sentiment among major portions of the electorate, I expect that to ultimately end or at least be severely curtailed). The state flagships are and will always be fine. School closures are actually driving more applicants to the state flagships as students and families seek safety and a good ROI (nobody wants to explain to an employer that their undergraduate school no longer exists).

Over 800 colleges have closed in the last 20 years. Most were for profit and/or religious schools. Most were already small. Some just merged into larger universities. I suspect that Pitt and Penn State branch campuses will not be immune to these changes.

They aren't immune, but they have a mama bear supporting them which it not something these small privates that have closed have had.

PSU certainly could close some of theirs...some are nothing more than a couple buildings and a parking lot which really lack robust academic offerings and offer token (at best) residential offerings.

UPT is already converted and is essentially out of the game, but it is highly unlikely you will see UPJ, UPG, or UPB change significantly. Those 3 are all essentially stand-alone, full fledged 4-year residential colleges with their own NCAA athletic programs and the university has continued to expand all of their academic offerings. So given that these regionals campuses aren't going anywhere, a question is how to market them better so they stabalize or reverse enrollment trends because you want all components of the university to be as healthy as possible.

 

[Panthergrowl13]

It’s both the right thing to do financially and otherwise for them, and will also inevitably result in a ton of consternation and hassle by the legislature, especially the ones from the areas that are going to have their branch shuttered and have those employees lose their jobs and benefits.

Meanwhile, Pitt is rock steady, growing, getting better students and is on financially healthy footing. Not a bad spot to be in.

Many of the politicians in those areas have voted for many years not to increase funding for the State Related Universities.

Now they may be seeing the results of those bad decisions on their constituents.

Three State Universities in the West had to be combined to form Penn West and three State schools in the East to form Penn Eest.

HAIL TO PITT!!!!

 

[pittdan77]

They aren't immune, but they have a mama bear supporting them which it not something these small privates that have closed have had.

PSU certainly could close some of theirs...some are nothing more than a couple buildings and a parking lot which really lack robust academic offerings and offer token (at best) residential offerings.

UPT is already converted and is essentially out of the game, but it is highly unlikely you will see UPJ, UPG, or UPB change significantly. Those 3 are all essentially stand-alone, full fledged 4-year residential colleges with their own NCAA athletic programs and the university has continued to expand all of their academic offerings. So given that these regionals campuses aren't going anywhere, a question is how to market them better so they stabalize or reverse enrollment trends because you want all components of the university to be as healthy as possible.

I sometimes wonder if rebranding them would make sense. Like you said, they're more or less stand alone schools so brand them in a way they look affiliated but shed the "branch campus" feel.

 

[CrazyPaco]

I sometimes wonder if rebranding them would make sense. Like you said, they're more or less stand alone schools so brand them in a way they look affiliated but shed the "branch campus" feel.

It is a tough one, because they also view their connection to Pitt, that they offer a Pitt degree, as a strength. Sort of a catch 22. And you have UPG really touting their connections to Oakland, and the academic programs there, more than the rest. Traditionally, they've been marketed much more independently than, say, PSU's branches which all have the same nittany lion mascot, statue, etc. PSU has made a concerted effort to brand everything identically springing from their athletic identity. You don't see that at Pitt's campuses, which at times, have even prevented use of the same athletic marks (although I think they're all using script Pitt again now).

 

[jivecat]

It is a tough one, because they also view their connection to Pitt, that they offer a Pitt degree, as a strength. Sort of a catch 22. And you have UPG really touting their connections to Oakland, and the academic programs there, more than the rest. Traditionally, they've been marketed much more independently than, say, PSU's branches which all have the same nittany lion mascot, statue, etc. PSU has made a concerted effort to brand everything identically springing from their athletic identity. You don't see that at Pitt's campuses, which at times, have even prevented use of the same athletic marks (although I think they're all using script Pitt again now).

What are the odds of PITT opening a branch campus futher East....Towards Philadelphia/NJ? A large percentage of students come from the area.

 

[CrazyPaco]

What are the odds of PITT opening a branch campus futher East....Towards Philadelphia/NJ? A large percentage of students come from the area.

0%. They aren't going to open any more campuses at this point.

 

[jtownknowitall]

What are the odds of PITT opening a branch campus futher East....Towards Philadelphia/NJ? A large percentage of students come from the area.

I’m sure the PASSHE would gladly let Pitt take over Cheyney University. Perhaps even Millersville or Kutztown.

 

[pittdan77]

It is a tough one, because they also view their connection to Pitt, that they offer a Pitt degree, as a strength. Sort of a catch 22. And you have UPG really touting their connections to Oakland, and the academic programs there, more than the rest. Traditionally, they've been marketed much more independently than, say, PSU's branches which all have the same nittany lion mascot, statue, etc. PSU has made a concerted effort to brand everything identically springing from their athletic identity. You don't see that at Pitt's campuses, which at times, have even prevented use of the same athletic marks (although I think they're all using script Pitt again now).

Well, that's the catch 22 I was imagining. I have no idea how to walk that tightrope. That's for much better people than me.

 

[NKSplitter]

What's the deal with the Titusville campus? I know it is a small campus, but I remember from the Tribune Review article on declining enrollment at Pitt and Penn State branch campuses linked below that in 2022 the Titusville campus had less than 30 students. Even if you are only operating out of a single building, I can't imagine the financial logistics of maintaining a building and employing faculty for that few students works. Were those 2022 numbers that low because of an extenuating circumstance?

https://triblive.com/local/regional...ding-enrollment-decline-expected-to-continue/

 

[pittchagg]

What's the deal with the Titusville campus? I know it is a small campus, but I remember from the Tribune Review article on declining enrollment at Pitt and Penn State branch campuses linked below that in 2022 the Titusville campus had less than 30 students. Even if you are only operating out of a single building, I can't imagine the financial logistics of maintaining a building and employing faculty for that few students works. Were those 2022 numbers that low because of an extenuating circumstance?

https://triblive.com/local/regional...ding-enrollment-decline-expected-to-continue/

They rebranded it to the “Educational and Career Training Center at Pitt-Titusville.”

Pitt-Titusville launches rebranded Education and Training Center

Formerly known as the Hub, the school is raising community awareness of its associate degrees and Swanson School of Engineering sponsored courses.

www.pitt.edu

They brought in a community college and a manufacturing company to basically turn it into a two-year outpost for associates degrees. Pitt consolidated all of the administrative functions to Bradford, and I presume the community college and the private company are basically helping to shoulder the costs.

 

[CrazyPaco]

What's the deal with the Titusville campus? I know it is a small campus, but I remember from the Tribune Review article on declining enrollment at Pitt and Penn State branch campuses linked below that in 2022 the Titusville campus had less than 30 students. Even if you are only operating out of a single building, I can't imagine the financial logistics of maintaining a building and employing faculty for that few students works. Were those 2022 numbers that low because of an extenuating circumstance?

https://triblive.com/local/regional...ding-enrollment-decline-expected-to-continue/

28 nursing students in fall 2023 in the associate nursing program. That's the only academic program Pitt is still running at UPT. The other offerings now are the Swanson School of Engineering's Manufacturing Assistance Center (MAC) which is providing training in machining skills, the Manchester Bidwell's Brockway Center offering medical assistant training, and the Northern Pennsylvania Regional community College offering various courses.

There are 7 full-time Pitt faculty (2 part time) and 14 staff that are employed there to run the nursing program and training hub (down from 371 students and 87 faculty and staff ten years ago). All the administration has been folded into UPB.

They've converted the McKinney Center student union to a MAC workshop and maker space, part of the gym into a student art gallery...basically getting an overhaul for the new purpose. They sold off the student apartment housing that was a block away from campus.

The numbers of the decline in that article are a little deceiving because Pitt voluntarily shut down UPT academic enrollment when it converted into the training hub linked above.

Here's the website: https://etc.pitt.edu

 

[CrazyPaco]

basically turn it into a two-year outpost for associates degrees.

Well UPT only ever offered 2-year associates degrees...but the only one Pitt is still running its 2-year nursing associates and then sharing/renting out the space to the other entities.

 

[NKSplitter]

UPARC issues is I think there are remediation problems with that site. It's a huge site with a lot of structures, but the facilities are run down and out of date. I don't think it is worth it to Pitt to invest in it, although it is a great location for something right off the highway. They aren't going to get much for it, I don't think.

There was vote during the 9/18/2023 meeting of the Property & Facilities Committee(linked below timestamped to start of UParc property discussion) to sell the property as a pair of parcels for $5 million that passed with an objection from John Pelusi relating to some of those remediation issues and wanting assurance Pitt wouldn't be on the hook for them(if I understood his objection correctly). So, for the size of the property in the location it is in; it definitely appears there are enough issues with it that Pitt is looking for someone that can take it off their hands more so than expecting a windfall for it.

While at Pitt I took an industrial engineering class that took a field trip out there to get some hands-on time with the CNC milling machines they had. I got the feeling that Pitt really didn't know what to do with the facility from the moment Chevron gifted it to them and never developed any long-term strategy for the facility. It's a shame, because it could have made for a nice facility for a trade school if sold off to an organization that could run it in that fashion early on. Also, might have worked as an off-campus skunkworks facility for more ambitious student design projects. I'm disappointed it has fallen to a state of disrepair to the point where it's not even worth the land it is situated on.

Public Meeting of the Property & Facilities Committee: 9.18.2023 UParc discussion

 

[CrazyPaco]

There was vote during the 9/18/2023 meeting of the Property & Facilities Committee(linked below timestamped to start of UParc property discussion) to sell the property as a pair of parcels for $5 million that passed with an objection from John Pelusi relating to some of those remediation issues and wanting assurance Pitt wouldn't be on the hook for them(if I understood his objection correctly). So, for the size of the property in the location it is in; it definitely appears there are enough issues with it that Pitt is looking for someone that can take it off their hands more so than expecting a windfall for it.

While at Pitt I took an industrial engineering class that took a field trip out there to get some hands-on time with the CNC milling machines they had. I got the feeling that Pitt really didn't know what to do with the facility from the moment Chevron gifted it to them and never developed any long-term strategy for the facility. It's a shame, because it could have made for a nice facility for a trade school if sold off to an organization that could run it in that fashion early on. Also, might have worked as an off-campus skunkworks facility for more ambitious student design projects. I'm disappointed it has fallen to a state of disrepair to the point where it's not even worth the land it is situated on.

Public Meeting of the Property & Facilities Committee: 9.18.2023 UParc discussion

I wonder if the.sale fell through because no transaction has been recorded in Allegheny still has the property belonging to Pitt.

It is too bad they can't figure out something to do with it. For a university so land starved, things must be pretty bad with it to divest of a 93 acre plot.