PASSHE Institutions Merging

[IUPNation]

Ah yes, the money tree with unending harvest.

What part of public education don’t you understand?

[Fightingscot82]

Ah yes, the money tree with unending harvest.

All I'm saying is that we're not alone when things get beyond repair. Look at Cheyney. Every small school that's closed has tried unsuccessfully for a state bailout. It's a lot easier to get emergency state support when you're an extension of the state government.

[Horror Child]

Yes. We have the backing of the state. The smaller, private independent schools who rely on tuition for nearly all revenue and coupon codes for financial aid are going to run out of gas. The elites will just nudge their acceptances to balance things pulling upward. Same for flagships and national/semi-national schools. This all hurts us but we've got the backing of the state. We'll be amongst the last standing in theory. That doesn't mean a campus or two will close, but until the system is insolvent, no major changes are coming.

Ah yes, the money tree with unending harvest.

[Bart]

Commonwealth: down 2.5%

Closer look at enrollment of 11,103 which has been steadily downward since merger in 2022.
Lock Haven lost 178 students since last year a 6.6% drop to 2,524
Mansfield has 97 fewer students at 1098 an 8% drop
Bloom remained stable at 7,207 students an increase of 1 student.

It's not going to get better.

[Fightingscot82]

Do you think the biggest losers going forward will be all these small private schools who can no longer discount their way to more students?

It seems like public universities are in a better position to ride out this demographic slow down and right size themselves.

Yes. We have the backing of the state. The smaller, private independent schools who rely on tuition for nearly all revenue and coupon codes for financial aid are going to run out of gas. The elites will just nudge their acceptances to balance things pulling upward. Same for flagships and national/semi-national schools. This all hurts us but we've got the backing of the state. We'll be amongst the last standing in theory. That doesn't mean a campus or two will close, but until the system is insolvent, no major changes are coming.

[IUPNation]

All they have to do is tell more kids they can attend the Oakland campus and they've balanced their budget. Same with Penn State and any other truly upper tier national university or flagship. Just like football recruiting, we're all fighting for the same regulars.

Do you think the biggest losers going forward will be all these small private schools who can no longer discount their way to more students?

It seems like public universities are in a better position to ride out this demographic slow down and right size themselves.

[Fightingscot82]

Pitt reported a jump of 1,300-plus students in Oakland this fall, according to data shared by the university on Wednesday. The current freshman class is the largest in school history, leading to the 4% enrollment growth from fall 2024.

All they have to do is tell more kids they can attend the Oakland campus and they've balanced their budget. Same with Penn State and any other truly upper tier national university or flagship. Just like football recruiting, we're all fighting for the same regulars.

[GregD]

Really promising news overall: https://www.post-gazette.com/news/ed...s/202510070064

Cheyney: up 38% (but still just 851 students)
East Stroudsburg: up 4.4%
Indiana: up 1.5%
Millersville: up 1.3%
Shippensburg: up 2.6%
Slippery Rock: up 2.75%
West Chester: up 1.2%

Commonwealth: down 2.5%
Kutztown: down 1.3%
Penn West: down 2.6%

Pitt reported a jump of 1,300-plus students in Oakland this fall, according to data shared by the university on Wednesday. The current freshman class is the largest in school history, leading to the 4% enrollment growth from fall 2024.

[Fightingscot82]

Really promising news overall: https://www.post-gazette.com/news/ed...s/202510070064

Cheyney: up 38% (but still just 851 students)
East Stroudsburg: up 4.4%
Indiana: up 1.5%
Millersville: up 1.3%
Shippensburg: up 2.6%
Slippery Rock: up 2.75%
West Chester: up 1.2%

Commonwealth: down 2.5%
Kutztown: down 1.3%
Penn West: down 2.6%

[IUPNation]

I went to see a basketball doubleheader at the Palestra once, and even though I knew the "Big 5" were all in the Philly area I was amazed at how Villanova, Penn, and St. Joe's were basically a stone's throw from each other. I won't say that was a while ago, but I saw Howard Porter playing for Villanova.

Villanova, St Joe's and Penn are all accessible along the Paoli/Thorndale Regional Rail. Villanova has it's own train station...St Joe's is just blocks from the Overbrook Station and Penn is blocks from 30th Street Station.

[ShipAlum]

Nothing like a Saturday night Big 5 basketball double header at the Palestra. St. Joe's hawk flapping their wings the entire game and opposing fans yelling "the hawk is dead". Along with Porter the Cats had Franny O'Hanlon and Johnny Jones.

[Ship69]

Yeah really. I knew there were a bunch of colleges in that area but never realized how close they all were.

I went to see a basketball doubleheader at the Palestra once, and even though I knew the "Big 5" were all in the Philly area I was amazed at how Villanova, Penn, and St. Joe's were basically a stone's throw from each other. I won't say that was a while ago, but I saw Howard Porter playing for Villanova.

[iupgroundhog]

In the 90’s, you’d see the students at the King of Prussia Mall in uniform all the time.

Wasn't Taps filmed there too?

Taps was. I used to see the kids when I would go the ice cream place by the Wayne train station. I don't think it's there any more. Last I was there the Wayne Tavern had taken over that space.

[IUPNation]

Correct. The Academy is closing (grades 7-12) while the College part remains open, although the college only has 110 students. The Academy enrollment was down from 300 to 94 since 2012.
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore is an alum of the Academy. So is author J.D. Salinger, and his book Catcher in the Rye is set at VFMA which is referred to as "Pencey Prep" in the book.

In the 90’s, you’d see the students at the King of Prussia Mall in uniform all the time.

Wasn't Taps filmed there too?

[iupgroundhog]

They could spit on each other. I think the college part of Valley Forge is staying open. It’s the Academy for the kiddies that is closing.

Correct. The Academy is closing (grades 7-12) while the College part remains open, although the college only has 110 students. The Academy enrollment was down from 300 to 94 since 2012.
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore is an alum of the Academy. So is author J.D. Salinger, and his book Catcher in the Rye is set at VFMA which is referred to as "Pencey Prep" in the book.