Temple U's $175M funding spat appears to be over

A weeks-old state legislative spat that threatened funding for Temple University appears to be over.

Officials at the Philadelphia university say lawmakers gave preliminary approval to the school's $175 million state budget appropriation today.

The funding represents 22 percent of Temple's overall operating costs. It had been held up by a legislator upset over the university's closure of a hospital in his district.

Republican Rep. John Taylor of Philadelphia pulled the appropriation bill earlier this month. Without it, Temple officials said tuition would jump by 45 percent.

Temple then started an intensive letter-writing campaign to lobby lawmakers for the funds. Taylor could not immediately be reached for comment.