Posted: November 13, 2025
I am writing to share an important update on the Pennsylvania state budget. The budget has now passed, and it provides flat funding once again for Penn State’s Agricultural Research and Extension programs through the Land Scrip Fund.
As you know, the Land Scrip Fund is the state appropriation that underpins our land-grant mission. It supports the research, education, and Extension programs that allow us to serve the agricultural and natural resource needs of communities across the Commonwealth. This funding is especially critical because it provides the required match for federal formula funds and is essential for our ability to effectively compete for competitive grants, significantly amplifying the impact of our work. Without this appropriation, we would forfeit millions of dollars in federal match support and face severe program reductions.
For the current fiscal year, Penn State requested $61.7 million for Agricultural Research and Extension through the Land Scrip Fund—an increase of $4 million over last year's appropriation—to help address rising costs and sustain program excellence. While we are grateful that the legislature maintained our funding, this marks the fourth consecutive year of flat appropriations during a period of sharply escalating expenses, including ASI, compensation modernization, and health care.
This reality means we must continue to be proactive and disciplined. In the months ahead, we will need to sharpen our focus on controlling costs, increasing efficiency, diversifying revenue, and identifying new and innovative funding sources. These efforts are essential to sustaining and growing the programs that support Pennsylvania's agriculture and food systems, steward the ecosystems of Penn's Woods, and strengthen communities across the state.
I am deeply appreciative of your resilience, creativity, and commitment. Your work—and the collaborative spirit behind it—remains the foundation of our success, especially in challenging budget cycles. Please know that your ideas, questions, and partnership are always welcome as we chart a path forward together.
Thank you for everything you do on behalf of the College of Agricultural Sciences.
Sincerely,
Troy
