As a high school senior in the fall of 2021, I narrowed my college options down to the University of Pittsburgh and Penn State. My brother attends Pitt and my father works there, so Pitt seemed like the ideal option. However, the opposite was true.
The reasons for my decision to attend Penn State were the opportunities it granted and how it could change who I was as a person. Additionally, Penn State has a diverse network of connections that no other public university offers.
When I learned that Penn State ranks last in per-student funding for Pennsylvania students among public universities, I was, quite frankly, confused. That is why Penn State is requesting a 47.6% increase to its general support request to the commonwealth for 2023-24 (“Penn State asks for historic boost in state funding,” Sept. 23, TribLIVE). The university is among the top 1% of global universities and deserves equality for its student body, which gives the school its reputation.
While this increase in funds for the upcoming year may seem outrageous, it represents the fairness we deserve for making Penn State the school it is. I’ve only been a student for three months, but I already believe that coming to Penn State was the best decision I’ve made, and I want other current and future students to feel the same way.
Carter Rowe
O’Hara