Proposal Would Let Pa. Universities Exit State System

Some Pennsylvania state lawmakers think universities should be able to leave the State System of Higher Education and are proposing legislation to allow it.
 
Sen. Tommy Tomlinson outlined the proposal at a news conference in the Capitol on Tuesday, saying enrollment trends and financial pressures mean the schools should have the flexibility to make more of their own decisions.
 
Tomlinson's bill would let larger schools among the 14-member system become "state-related" universities, a group that now includes just Penn State, Pitt, Lincoln and Temple.
 
Schools that leave the state system would have to pay back the value of their property over 30 years.
 
Opponents say the idea would lead to higher tuition and provide less state oversight and accountability.