At a time when Penn State is preparing to close seven Commonwealth campuses and drastically reduce access to education in rural Pennsylvania, the university’s Board of Trustees has voted to give President Neeli Bendapudi a $450,000 annual raise—a 47% increase in her base salary. Her total compensation will now climb to nearly $3 million per year.

This decision feels deeply out of touch with the students, families, and faculty members who are facing the consequences of budget cuts and campus closures. The affected campuses—DuBois, Fayette, Mont Alto, New Kensington, Shenango, Wilkes-Barre, and York—have already stopped accepting new and transfer students. For thousands of Pennsylvanians, especially in working-class and rural communities, these closures mean fewer local options for higher education, more student debt, and limited pathways to opportunity.

We are calling on the Penn State Board of Trustees to reverse or freeze President Bendapudi’s pay increase until the university provides a public reinvestment plan for the communities affected by these closures.

If there’s truly $450,000 available in the budget, that money should first go toward transitional scholarships, student relocation support, and guaranteed reinvestment in the remaining 13 Commonwealth campuses—not executive compensation.

We recognize that President Bendapudi has played a key role in balancing budgets and driving philanthropy, but leadership is about values. And in this moment, rewarding top leadership while shrinking educational access sends the wrong message to the very people Penn State is meant to serve.

This petition is not about partisan politics—it’s about priorities. The public deserves a Pennsylvania State University that puts students before salaries, and communities before bonuses.

Sign to demand Penn State delay executive raises until rural students are protected and reinvestment is guaranteed.

Photo: Dan Gleiter/Penn Live