After last year’s monthslong state budget impasse resulted in no funding increase for community and state colleges, Butler County Community College and Slippery Rock University officials again advocated for some increase in 2026-27.

But this year, funding will remain flat again.

The state’s $50.8 billion budget, which was approved by the General Assembly and signed into law by Gov. Josh Shapiro on July 12, was the result of an agreement between the Republican-led Senate and the Democratic-led House of Representatives.

It includes $625.7 million spread among the Pennsylnania State System for Higher Education’s (PASSHE), 10 universities and $277.3 million going toward community colleges across the commonwealth, according to the state government’s website — a 0% increase two years straight, despite an increase requests.

“While level funding provides that stability, it does not fully keep pace with the rising costs of delivering high-quality education and workforce training,” BC3 president Megan Coval said in statement to the Eagle. “As demand continues to grow for affordable higher education, dual enrollment and workforce development, increased investment in community colleges is essential to meet the needs of students, employers and the communities we serve.”

Earlier this year, Coval and SRU President Karen Riley pushed for state funding increases proposed by PASSHE and the state commission for community colleges — 5% and 6%, respectively. Both spent time in Harrisburg testifying before the House Appropriations Committee, sharing with legislators the impact their schools have and lobbying against flat-fundeding for a second year in a row.

At the time, college leaders pointed to programs that would benefit from new funding, such as workforce training programs, efforts to reduce barriers for undeserved potential students, nursing, EMS training and others with a larger-than-average societal and economic impact.

Riley and Coval also pointed to inflationary costs as a reason to request more funding.

The state commission for community colleges highlights that, over the last decade, operating funding “for Pennsylvania’s community college sector has increased less than 2% annually.”

Tuesday Stanley, president of the commission for community colleges, said statewide concerns created by flat-funding for 2026-27 include reducing staff at colleges, eliminating credit and non-credit programs, increasing tuition and “stifling our colleges’ ability to move forward in creating innovative workforce programming.”

“While always grateful for these contributions, another year of level-funding makes it difficult to maintain operations for our institutions and to meet the workforce needs for Pennsylvania,” Stanley said in a July 16 news release.

Coval has acknowledged the role the state government plays in helping BC3 operate and serve its students. As legislators overcame political polarization to approve this year’s budget in a more timely manner, she praised the state’s investment in education.

“We appreciate the state reaching a budget agreement that provides stability as colleges prepare for the upcoming academic year,” Coval said. “We are grateful for the commonwealth’s continued investment in Pennsylvania’s community colleges and recognize the many competing priorities involved in developing a state budget.”

SRU deferred to past comments made by PASSHE when approached for comment about the new state budget. Days before the state budget was approved, PASSHE announced it would increase undergraduate students’ tuition by $172 per semester unless the state had provided “sufficient funding” to make up the difference.

“Every dollar counts for our students and while we would prefer to freeze tuition as the board did for seven years, we kept this increase as low as possible,” Cynthia Shapira, chair of the PASSHE Board of Governors, said July 9. “If the state provides sufficient funding, the board is committed to rolling back the rate.”

The tuition increase will remain in place for 2026-27.

Elsewhere, other state-affiliated universities that impact the region are also seeing the same trends. Tens of thousands of students in the Penn State University system and the University of Pittsburgh system also face tuition hikes for the 2026-27 academic year.

Despite the flat funding, local colleges will continue to fund courses, workforce programs and capital projects; though an increase would have gone a long way at a time with high energy costs and other built-in increases, college leaders said.

“At BC3, we remain committed to being responsible stewards of every public dollar entrusted to us while continuing to provide high-quality, affordable educational opportunities that strengthen lives, prepare the workforce and support our communities,” Coval said.