Penn State leaders to respond to Corbett budget

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) — Penn State leaders say they fear tuition hikes, layoffs and downsizing may lie ahead if Gov. Tom Corbett’s proposal to slash state funding is approved by the Legislature.

Corbett’s budget blueprint unveiled Tuesday proposed a 52 percent cut in appropriations for Penn State to $182 million. The university says that would include reductions in agricultural extension and the loss of federal stimulus dollars.

President Graham Spanier says the cuts would be the deepest in Penn State’s 157-year history and could fundamentally change the way the school operates. Spanier has a scheduled a news conference today to further respond to Corbett’s budget plan.

The proposal would cut funding for 14 state-owned universities, along with four “state-related” schools — Lincoln, Penn State, Pitt and Temple — by more than 50 percent.