Governor Tom Wolf approved a $34-billion state budget Friday that includes a 2% increase in Penn State’s general support appropriation. The increased funding represents a boost of about $4.75 million for Penn State.

The appropriation package, which amounts to $337.2 million in total, also includes increases of 2.6 and 17.6% in funding for Penn State agricultural research and the Pennsylvania College of Technology, respectively. The Milton S. Hershey Medical Center was granted level funding.

Wolf originally planned to sign the budget Thursday evening after it was approved by the State Senate. A last-minute disagreement between the two branches of the state legislature forced Wolf to push the signing to Friday.

“With four of the past five budgets including increases to Penn State’s funding, we are thankful that leadership in Harrisburg, particularly Sen. Corman, Rep. Benninghoff and Gov. Wolf, has shown support for Penn State and public higher education,” Penn State President Eric Barron said in a release.

The Board of Trustees will confirm the university’s 2019-2020 operating budget at its July meeting now that the appropriation totals are confirmed.

The added funding represents a win for Penn State’s newly-established lobbying initiative Advocate Penn State, which replaced the university’s grassroots network in January.

Advocate Penn State and its affiliated Student organization Lion Caucus aim to make Penn State’s legislative goals, and how community members can help the university achieve them, clear to students and alumni. It encouraged Penn Staters to send legislators letters of support for the funding increase through a customizable form on its website.