Governor Tom Wolf announced Monday that he secured $32 billion to state public schools, universities and human services agencies, according to PennLive. The spending plan was initially approved in June for the current fiscal year, but the state legislature could not come to a consensus on how to raise enough revenue to make up the $2 billion deficit until last week. Penn State has been waiting to hear word about funding, and this update in funding after a four-month budget stalemate comes as a relief to students.

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Since the initial proposed budget, state lawmakers have had trouble compromising on a budget, therefore leaving many people in the state without either a yes or a no on funding. Penn State is among the institutions that was unsure of their fate. Administrators throughout the Penn State system urged their students and staff to reach out to state legislators in an effort to secure funding for Penn State.

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"Our flagship higher education institutions should never again be held hostage in the General Assembly’s budget process," Wolf said in a statement. "These are high-impact and invaluable assets for our commonwealth’s students and economy. Our state investment helps keep these world-class universities affordable for state students."

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According to PennLive, $600 million was released to five state-supported universities on Friday. The five schools are Penn State, Pitt, Lincoln University, Temple University and the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine. Of the $600 million, Penn State will receive $300 million. Some of the schools were contemplating having to have a midyear tuition increase, but the funding ensures that this will not happen.

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"In February, I proposed a budget that balanced by implementing more than $2 billion in cuts, savings, and efficiencies and closing $1 billion in loopholes," Wolf said in a statement. "And for the past several months, Democrats and Republicans have had a robust conversation about our fiscal challenges. The result is not everything I wanted or everything Republicans wanted. But we avoided deep, indiscriminate cuts that would have endangered our ability to deliver services to the people of Pennsylvania."

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The $2 billion deficit is to be made up through expanding gambling and tobacco taxes. Money from tobacco companies will be used for healthcare costs, which is part of an agreement made in 1998 that helped cover the medical costs associated with smoking and tobacco use.

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Wolf said that he may veto one bill, the education code, which allows spending to the state’s public schools. He said there are a few lines in the bill that he is opposed to, including laying off teachers for economic reasons by performance evaluations, rather than seniority.

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The state legislature still has work to do on the budget, but those associated with Pennsylvania’s state-affiliated universities can rest easy knowing their funding is secure.