Gov. Ed Rendell on Wednesday said he would consider expanding his proposed $550 million tuition relief plan to include state-related schools such as the University of Pittsburgh and Penn State University.

The program he proposed would include assistance for as many as 170,000 low- and middle-income students who attend one of the 14 schools in the State System of Higher Education or one of the 14 community colleges.

"We would welcome that and think that it is appropriate to treat all public higher education institutes the same way," said Pitt spokesman John Fedele.

Rendell wants to pay for the program by legalizing video poker machines and taxing them at a rate of about 50 percent. An estimated 17,000 machines operate illegally in the state. The state imposes a 55 percent tax on slot machines at casinos.