<p>Another factor: if the in-state tuition goes up substantially because of continual slashing of state funding, the average quality of the undergrad in-state students who decide to go to Pitt will go down. Other options will look more cost-effective to the better students in PA. That decline will bring down overall stats, which will make Pitt less attractive to top out of state students. That decline in turn will hurt faculty recruitment, and the cycle worsens.</p>