During the House Appropriations Committee hearing held March 11, President Fry advocated to lawmakers why they should increase Temple’s funding this year.

Temple University President John Fry advocated on behalf of the university and the Commonwealth’s state-related institutions during the House Appropriations Committee hearing held Wednesday, March 11.  

During the three-hour session, Fry joined the leaders of Penn State University, the University of Pittsburgh and Lincoln University to make the case for increased funding from the Commonwealth. 

“The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is instrumental in helping Temple fulfill its mission of ensuring that students from all backgrounds and places receive access to the high-quality education that is a hallmark of this institution. I am grateful for the support you provide to both Temple and our state-related peers: Penn State, Pitt and Lincoln. To each of you I say, thank you,” Fry shared with legislators during his opening remarks. “A stronger and more competitive Temple and Pennsylvania go hand in hand, and that can be seen within the districts represented by the committee members who are here today. Within your districts alone, there are more than 55,000 Temple students, employees and alumni.” 

This year, Temple is requesting a 16% increase to its appropriation, which would allow the university to hold Pennsylvania resident tuition flat across all levels for the upcoming academic year. Temple has received annual base funding of $158.2 million each year since 2019, and these funds are key in allowing the university to keep tuition as low as possible for Pennsylvania residents. Thanks to the state appropriation, the university is able to offer more than $270 million in tuition support to Pennsylvania residents. As a result of the investment, Temple provides every undergraduate in-state resident with at least a $15,600 annual discount on tuition. 

The university’s request for a 16% increase is intended to be an inflationary adjustment, accounting for each of the past seven years where Temple’s appropriation was not adjusted to keep pace with rising costs of living; inflation; and related increased expenses such as personal and health benefits, technology adoption and cybersecurity, and research and development. 

The 2026 House Appropriations Committee hearing for state-related institutions came just six weeks after Temple unveiled its strategic plan, Forward with Purpose, which will serve as the university’s compass over the next decade. The initiatives that will support one of the plan’s key priorities, Place-based Impact, garnered attention throughout the hearing, first when Rep. Regina Young brought forth the topic of public safety. 

“It’s important that we are creating spaces where the families of students can feel comfortable,” said Young, who represents the 185th District located in Delaware and Philadelphia counties. “With the rise of so many concerns around student safety on campuses, can you tell us some of the efforts you’re doing to ensure that students are safe on your campus?” 

In response, President Fry mentioned the work pursued since 21CP Solutions completed its audit of Temple’s Department of Public Safety, citing that 98% of the recommendations are complete or ongoing with the final two to be finished later this year. He also referenced the recently completed independent staffing study for the Department of Public Safety and the plans to hire 29 patrol officers, one detective, six sergeants and one lieutenant over the next five years. But he made it clear that the university’s strategy goes beyond that. 

“To me, the most important thing other than strong public safety, police and security is making sure that our streets are active and engaged and full of people,” Fry said. “The Broad Street Innovation Corridor is not just about progress in science and technology and economic development, it’s about making those corridors safe. So, we’re working not only on safety in the traditional way but on improving the public and commercial environment, as well.” 

Place-based Impact goes beyond Philadelphia, however, as Temple’s goal is to serve as a vital, trusted partner throughout the commonwealth. An example of the university’s work in this area was highlighted when Rep. Jamie Barton approached the podium during the hearing. 

“President Fry, my grandma used to say when God closes a door, he opens a window. In Schuylkill County, we say now that when God closes a Rite-Aid, he opens a Temple dental clinic. That’s not really true, but that’s what I say,” Barton said. “Rural health, in general, is a real concern and Temple’s investment in rural dentistry shows great vision and accountability. Do you know, President Fry, what Temple’s investment is in the dental clinic?” 

President Fry proceeded to thank the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Tamaqua City Revitalization and Improvement Zone, and the Morgan Foundation, which have all helped support Temple’s soon-to-open dental clinic and education center, before noting that he expects it will be a $2 to $3 million investment for Temple. 

“The fact that we have five committed partners to help lift this off the ground is great, and the thing that I am excited about is that the 10 dental students who will start working in Tamaqua in the fall are going to have residential accommodations there, and our hope is that they are going to become residents in Schuylkill County one day and be the next generation of dentists,” Fry said. “The idea is to not just give them a great opportunity to work in Tamaqua and serve your citizens but also to incent them to buy a home there, live there, raise their families there and continue to be of service to the community.” 

For the majority of the hearing, Fry and his colleagues were the ones testifying in support of their institutions and higher education. Each university leader had opportunities to discuss the unique value proposition that their institution brings to the commonwealth. However, as the hearing neared its conclusion, there was a slight role reversal once Rep. Jordan A. Harris, majority chair of the Appropriations Committee of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, delivered his closing remarks.  

“I am all about holding universities and departments and everybody accountable for taxpayer resources. We should. It is our responsibility to hold folks accountable when we are administering taxpayer resources. But I also think we take for granted that we, in Pennsylvania, have some of the finest institutions of higher education known to the world,” said Harris, who represents the 186th District, comprising parts of South and West Philadelphia.   

“I oftentimes wonder what ailments, what diseases, what of the world’s problems would have already been solved if some of the people who couldn’t afford to go to college would have been able to,” Harris continued. “My mother, my grandmother are Temple Made. I would not be here today if my grandmother hadn't gone to CCP [Community College of Philadelphia] first and then Temple University. Had she not gone to school, I would not be here. So, as we debate over the next few months on what the budget is for these institutions, let us also remember that as we hold folks accountable for dollars and cents, these aren’t just dollars and cents. It is actually the investment in the future of the state, the country and the world that we say we want to see.”