Ridge budget plan will cut U. funding

In the fiscal battle between public and private education, Penn and eight other private colleges in Philadelphia have come across a formidable opponent -- Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Ridge. Just three years after universities won the battle to keep their state funding in the budget, Ridge announced plans to cut the 1996-97 budget in half and totally eliminate funding in 1997-98. The governor's press secretary, Tim Reeves, said that Penn has continually received direct appropriations that it did not deserve. "Historically, somehow the University of Pennsylvania and some of these other institutions were able to get the votes to get funding, and that's one of the inequalities of it," Reeves said. "There are dozens and dozens of outstanding private institutions in this state." Reeves said he questions why the eight schools -- including Penn, Drexel University and Hahnemann University -- have ever received money. He said that Ridge does not have a "philosophic problem with the funding of private institutions," but feels the state's first obligation is to its public schools. The state government has a very tight budget this year as a result of a six million cut from Washington, Ridge explained. "Pennsylvania has dozens and dozens of top rate institutions," Reeves said. "A handful of them can't receive special aid." Penn has been aware of the unstable nature of Commonwealth support for several years, said University Vice President for Government, Community and Public Affairs Carol Scheman. "We have sought to understand ourselves better and communicate clearly with the state about the purpose and uses of Commonwealth funding to Penn," Scheman said last week. Ridge has cited several justifications for the elimination of the funding -- including the likelihood of a freeze on public funding, the abundance of degree-granting private colleges, and Penn's $1.7 billion endowment. Scheman said the money is necessary to support important graduate programs, such as the veterinary school. "We are at a time when we are not able to increase funding for our public universities," Ridge said. "That makes it impossible to justify giving tax-payer dollars to a few of the state's private universities and colleges." Reeves said that the governor never planned on cutting education funding, but Ridge was faced with "tough choices." "We have no other choice than a two-year phase out," Reeves said. "It is an extraordinary circumstance that requires extraordinary decisions."