Written Testimony for
University of Pittsburgh Chancellor Patrick Gallagher

March 21, 2023

Appropriations Committee of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives

For nearly 60 years, state lawmakers have invested in a life-changing benefit—one that helps Pennsylvania students and families access a world-class University of Pittsburgh education.

Pitt’s efforts to support this powerful benefit includes: 

  • Prioritizing in-state student success. Pitt has emerged as a college of choice for Pennsylvanians, with a record number of residents applying to our campuses last fall. These prospective students hailed from every county across the commonwealth and 65% called zip codes outside of Western Pennsylvania home. Today, approximately 70% of our undergraduate student body—across all five campuses—are Pennsylvania residents.
  • Devoting every penny of state funding toward lowering tuition rates for Pennsylvanians. Our in-state tuition discount, which Pitt and the commonwealth fund together, saves the average Pennsylvania resident about $15,000 per year or $60,000 over the course of a four-year undergraduate degree. In the last budget cycle, Pitt also used all $7.5 million in federal COVID-19 relief funds—received as a one-time allocation from the state—to further reduce the tuition rate for Pennsylvania students. 
  • Addressing the financial needs of our students. In fiscal year 2023, Pitt will invest $286 million in student financial aid—an increase of $24 million from the prior year’s budget and a 30% jump in our institutional stake relative to five years ago. On our regional campuses, the impact of this investment is clear—fueling a 41% drop in the number of undergraduates with unmet financial from 2014 to 2022. 
  • Keeping net tuition costs low. Despite historic inflation rates topping 9% and approximately $215 million in costs and lost revenues due to COVID-19, the University has worked hard to minimize the financial impact on students. In fact, the average net tuition per student has risen just 3% in the past three years.

On behalf of our extended university community: I am deeply grateful for our long-standing partnership with the commonwealth, and I look forward to working with both you and your colleagues to continue the state’s investment in Pennsylvania’s students, families and future.  

Respectfully, 

Patrick Gallagher 
Chancellor, University of Pittsburgh