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The State System of Higher Education in Pennsylvania is freezing tuition rates for the 2019-20 academic year for the first time in 20 years.
Hopefully, it's not a case of too little too late for the state-owned system, which includes Mansfield and Lock Haven universities.
The tuition freeze comes amid an eight-year drop in the overall enrollment in the system from 112,000 to just over 90,000.
The freeze will mean a $63 million gap for the system's budget that will need to be addressed. Refreshingly, Cindy Shapira, the chairwoman of the system's board, said the leaders of the 14 universities that make up the system realize it is not always up to students to make up for budget shortfalls with increased tuition payments.
We are not sure the system's leaders have always fully understood that, as tuitions have been frozen only twice in its 36-year history. But we are glad they are getting the message now.
The state government allocation to SHHE was increased by 2 percent this year to $477 million, but the percentage of the budget paid by the state has dropped from 53 percent in 1993 to 27 percent currently. Part of the reason for that is that operations cost hikes for the universities have simply outpaced the state's allocations.
If the universities can get their costs stabilized while freezing tuition rates, they probably deserve a little more funding assistance from the state, but first they have to prove themselves fiscally.
That is, admittedly, not easy.
But the schools have something going for them. Their in-state tuition rate of $7,700, which is getting harder and harder for students from middle-income families to pay, remains a selling point.
The solution is difficult -- budget control combined with tuition stability. But that is the only path we can see that will keep the system afloat for the long-term future.
And we should all want to see that. For many college hopefuls in Pennsylvania, the SSHE system is the only accessible possibility.