APSCUF Legislative Goals And Priorities For 2025-26 Session

Fully fund and strengthen our campuses and communities within the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education to provide affordable and quality higher education across the state that benefit students, families, campuses, and their communities.

Along with increased funding in the state budget, the general assembly should find mechanisms to make college more affordable including but not limited to scholarships specifically for State System students, and continue to address legacy university debts.

Work to decrease the indebtedness of State System students in different ways including increasing PHEAA grants for State System students and promoting legislation aimed at negating the impacts of student loans, regulating for-profit institutions of higher educations, and protecting student borrowers (e.g., providing graduates with tax credits and regulating private lenders.)

Advocate for students’ voting rights. Promote proposals that make voting easier and oppose those that seek to limit voting rights, including: limiting waiting times for students voting in-person on Election Day and keeping or adding polling locations on campus.

Advocate for student health and safety through measures that increase the accessibility of on campus physical and mental health services.

Protect member and annuitant retirement benefits and options. Advocate for an appropriate cost of living adjustment.

Work in solidarity with the labor movement to preserve and expand workers’ rights (e.g., guaranteeing exclusive representation, maintaining the prevailing wage, protecting the collection of union dues, strengthening the right to collectively bargain, expanding voting rights,
and supporting raising the minimum wage).

Protect tenure, academic freedom, and faculty rights.

Advocate for proactive adjunct faculty legislation, including Public Service Loan Forgiveness, a statewide adjunct minimum wage, and health-care benefits that would help adjuncts,

Challenge inequities by supporting diverse, equitable and inclusive policies. Work with a broad coalition of stakeholders on higher education practices across the Commonwealth that support social justice efforts and ensure students, faculty, coaches and staff can enjoy a safe and healthy campus life.

Maintain a minimum 120 credit degree requirement for a baccalaureate degree.