SLIPPERY ROCK — Several Slippery Rock University faculty members and students attended a rally on campus Thursday in favor of Gov. Tom Wolf’s proposed $45 million increase in state funding to the State System of Higher Education.

In 2011, the budget for the state system, which includes SRU, was cut by $90 million, or 18 percent, under former Gov. Tom Corbett.

The rally was sponsored by the SRU chapter of the Association of Pennsylvania State College and University Faculties, the faculty union.

Itzi Meztli, public relations chairman for the chapter, said that Wolf’s proposed education increase is the first in eight years.

Meztli said that 800 jobs in the system have been cut since 2011, while tuition and fees have risen. With the restoration of funds, he said a tuition freeze could be possible.

Erin Molchany, the director of Wolf’s southwestern regional office in Pittsburgh, said Wolf has made a “historic” education initiative.

“Congratulations everyone. We elected an education governor,” Molchany said.

She told students to tell their state representatives to support Wolf’s budget.

State Rep. Jaret Gibbons, D-10th, said he and some of his colleagues tried to stand up to Corbett’s cuts to education.

“It’s been a tough road the last four years,” said Gibbons, who represents Slippery Rock borough and township.

He said that Wolf’s proposed budget will help higher education.

“We need to make it available; we need to make it affordable,” Gibbons said.

Students and faculty also spoke.

Jessica Jablonski, a sophomore, spoke in favor of Wolf’s restoration.

“I think PASSHE should follow those recommendations,” Jablonski said.

She said she comes from a blue collar family, and is the first person in her family to go to college. She said her father is working overtime, her mother has gotten a job, and she may need to take a semester or two off to save for school.

Amber Hepler, a student from Vandergrift, said she is relying on her father to help with tuition. However, her father lost his job last year, and she said she will have to take out more loans nest year than is recommended.

She said her biggest fear is not being able to finish school.

She spoke in favor of a tuition freeze.

Patrick Burkhart, a geology professor, said that Wolf’s state budget brings education funding to “less devastating” levels than under Corbett.

He pointed out that many students who attend state system schools go into good graduate programs and to work in the state.

“Our track record of success in public higher education and PASSHE is beyond reproach,” Burkhart said.

When the state education budget was cut under Corbett, that did not translate to lower state spending across the board as some people think, Burkhart said. Rather, education was cut to benefit other programs, he said.

“The budget levels were remaining constant,” Burkhart said.

Bill Boggs, an English professor, said when he attended Edinboro University in the 1960s, one semester of tuition cost $300. At that time, the state covered 75 percent of education costs, while students covered 25 percent. Today, he said students pay 75 percent while the state pays 25 percent.

He said he favored restoring state funding to education, but said he would like to see the state pay maybe 50 percent of costs, leaving students with 50 percent to pay.