Pennsylvania Governor Proposes to Overhaul the State University System

Gov. Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania, who has complained that his state’s higher education “isn’t working,” proposed on Friday a sweeping overhaul of the state’s sprawling system that would reduce tuition for many students and determine funding for schools based in part on their performance.

The plan would consolidate 10 of Pennsylvania’s state universities and all 15 of its community colleges under one governance umbrella, boost state funding for public higher education, and require students with low to middle incomes to pay only $1,000 a semester in tuition.

Most of the plan does not affect Pennsylvania’s best-known public universities, including Penn State, Pittsburgh and Temple.

“After 30 years of disinvestment, too many of our colleges and universities are running on empty and not enough students have affordable pathways into good jobs,” Mr. Shapiro said in a statement.