PENNSYLVANIA COMMUNITY COLLEGES: TROUBLED PAST; BRIGHT FUTURE?

Abstract

Although higher education in Pennsylvania pre - dates the American Revolution , local communities were authorized by the state General Assembly to apply to the State Board of Education for approval to establish community colleges only 36 years ago , in 1963 . The early growth of other sectors of higher education - private colleges and universities especially , state - owned universities , "state - related" and "state - aided" universities - and the difficulties of securing both local and state financial support have limited the establishment and growth of community colleges . Enactment of legislation authorizing community colleges was preceded by many years of debate over whether such institutions were needed or desirable . The Community College Act imposed a funding system that provided for local funding , offset by revenue from student tuition . The requirement of local sponsorship led to much dissatisfaction and many lawsuits in the colleges' formative years . The funding system has proved both inadequate and difficult to change , and it has discouraged the formation of new colleges . In the past 3 years , much attention has been paid to the colleges , with several studies and reviews calling for changing both funding and governance systems .