PITTSBURGH — Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl said this morning he reached a deal with the city's nonprofit community that averts the need to impose a first-of-its-kind tax on students.

The mayor declined to give dollar amounts. But he said the deal is for "the largest individual contribution to the city" and includes two universities and insurer Highmark. He said their contributions will be "a catalyst" for others to give.

Ravenstahl had proposed the tax as a way to generate $16 million a year to help pay for the city's massively underpaid pension fund. Ravenstahl has been searching for ways to get nonprofits to help the city's budget.