Robert Gregerson: Pitt-Greensburg’s state discount critical for students, local economy
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It’s been 60 years since six local school districts asked the University of Pittsburgh to establish a regional campus in Westmoreland County, and look how far we’ve come.
Today, the University of Pittsburgh at Greenburg proudly continues our mission to serve the educational needs of the region — two-thirds of our students come from Westmoreland and Allegheny counties, and more than nine out of every 10 students at Pitt-Greensburg reside within the commonwealth.
We have a longstanding record of keeping these students local once they have a diploma in hand, making an important contribution to the area’s workforce. Over 10,000 Pitt-Greensburg alumni — nearly 300 of whom joined last month — help address the dire employee shortages impacting critical sectors of Pennsylvania’s economy.
Thankfully, building a skilled workforce tops state lawmakers’ to-do lists, and Pitt-Greensburg is primed to advance this critical economic agenda. At the same time, our graduates are ready to work and well-positioned to contribute — quickly — to the commonwealth’s growth and success.
For decades, Pitt-Greensburg has played a pivotal role in the Laurel Highlands. Our campus and community are proud of our local roots and what we give back to our region. For example, we launched Westmoreland County’s first accredited bachelor of science in nursing program to address a severe talent gap and grow the number of trained nurses locally so they can provide the invaluable health care services our region needs. We have graduated more than 80 nurses in just the last three years.
Our region and commonwealth are also facing a severe shortage of teachers. We’ve educated more than 100 over the past five years, and nearly all are teaching in regional school systems.
We’ve placed a premium on other high-demand professions, too. Our criminal justice program has graduated 95 students in five years, while we’ve produced more than 180 biological science majors in that same time who are primarily pursuing advanced degrees in health care-related fields.
Unfortunately, much of the commonwealth and the country has seen an uptick in mental health challenges. We’re tackling this head-on, too, training nearly 200 psychology majors ready to provide the care our communities need.
We’ve also been responsive to the needs of local businesses by opening our facilities to local businesses and business owners.
And I’m very proud of our support for veterans and reserve and ROTC members and their families. Our efforts have earned our campus a prestigious Military Friendly School designation for 12 years running.
This list is just a start — and speaks to our strong, steady presence in Westmoreland County.
Fortunately, state leaders recognize the vital role that regional campuses like ours play in supporting regional economies. It’s one of the many reasons they have long funded reduced in-state tuition. It sees Pennsylvanians at Pitt-Greensburg paying about 46% less than their out-of-state peers.
Each year, Pitt and the state pay for this tuition discount together. It’s a benefit that saves each in-state Pitt-Greensburg student almost $14,000 annually, or $56,000 over their four-year college career.
For many Pennsylvanians, this discount plays a pivotal role — perhaps the most pivotal role — in recruiting students to college and keeping our graduates close to home.
With this in mind — and with severe workforce gaps looming large across the state and the Legislature deep in budget negotiations — I urge members of the General Assembly to continue funding the state discount for Pennsylvania students.
This support is vital to helping Pitt-Greensburg do what we do best: educating local students, training local talent, supporting local businesses and fueling local economies.
Robert Gregerson is president of the University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg.