Temple University will lay off employees and raise tuition for the second consecutive year

Temple University approved a $1.3 billion operating budget Wednesday that includes an average 3.4% tuition hike for both in-state and out-of-state students and plans for about 40 employee layoffs.

Both the average tuition increase — which is for undergraduate and graduate students — and number of layoffs are smaller than those last year. The university raised tuition an average of 3.6% in 2025 and laid off 50 employees.

The layoffs, which will occur this week, constitute less than 1% of the university’s workforce. Temple officials did not elaborate on who was affected or which positions but said positions across the university from senior levels to the operational ranks were considered. An effort was made to limit the impact on “student-facing” roles, said chief strategy officer and former interim provost David Boardman.

“The decision-making overwhelmingly was made at the local level, at the schools, colleges and administrative units,” said Boardman, who is also dean of Temple’s College of Media and Communication.

» READ MORE: As Temple projects its first enrollment increase since 2017, board approves tuition hike

Fry said last month that layoffs were “inevitable” as the university works to close a projected $85 million budget deficit for 2026-27.

Temple, along with many other colleges locally and nationally are facing enrollment declines and financial pressures as the available pool of high school students drops, public attitudes toward higher education change and the number of international students declines following changes in federal policy.

The budget approved without public discussion by the executive committee of Temple’s board of trustees includes a projected deficit of $25.5 million.

“We have met our savings target, which is obviously imperative,” Fry said in an interview after the board meeting.

Fry had asked schools, colleges and administrative units to cut a total of $60 million, a significant portion of which was accomplished through the elimination of 236 positions, he said. That’s on top of 190 positions that were eliminated last year.

More than 80% of the positions cut this year came through voluntary retirements, including a faculty program that netted more than 70 takers, as well as resignations and the elimination of vacant positions. The rest were the layoffs.

» READ MORE: Layoffs are ‘inevitable’ at Temple as school looks to cut $60 million, president says

“Implementing these targeted budget reductions and undertaking other organizational realignments is a critical first step toward returning the university to a balanced budget over the next three years,” Fry said in a message to the campus community.

The university is working under a new budget model that will “allow us to better align our resources with our strategic plan,” Fry said.

While the majority of the $60 million reduction was due to the position elimination, schools, colleges and administrative units are implementing other efficiencies. Some of the colleges, for example, have reduced doctoral student admissions, Boardman said.

The university’s 27% decline in domestic enrollment since 2017 and increased financial aid costs have been the most significant factors causing the school’s budget pressures, Fry said. The loss of students has amounted to an average of more than $200 million in lost revenue annually, according to an internal Temple report obtained by The Inquirer in April.

That report said the school anticipated falling below an 80% retention rate this fall.

Temple’s U.S. enrollment stood at 29,503 last fall; projections for this fall aren’t yet available.

» READ MORE: Temple has lost average of $200 million annually as enrollment slides, and retention rates are a major issue, internal report says

But Fry in his campus message said the school has received a record number of deposits for first-year enrollment compared to last year and deposits from transfer students also are up over last year.

The school also plans to roll out a new “first-year experience” program to help improve the school’s freshman to sophomore retention rate, which fell from a high of 90% about a decade ago to 82% last fall.

Employees from student affairs, enrollment management, and academic affairs have worked on the redesign with support from the National Institute for Student Success diagnostic, Fry said.

“The teams have taken a comprehensive look at how students transition to Temple and identified where we can better support their success,” he said. “This work has helped us identify barriers and create a more coordinated approach to orientation, advising, communication and student support.”

The efforts already are having an impact. Because of changes to orientation, 3,268 first-year students were registered for the fall as of July 5, compared to 560 students the same time last year, Fry said.

With the tuition increase, the new base rate for full-time students from Pennsylvania will rise to $20,376 annually and to $36,600 for out–of-state students. (Excluding Temple’s Japan campuses, 62% of students are Pennsylvania residents.) While the average increase is 3.4%, percentage increases fluctuate across Temple’s schools and majors, from a low of 2.9% to 3.9%.

Tuition increases are typical; the University of Pennsylvania increased its total costs by 3.8% for 2026-27.

Pennsylvania State University, which approves tuition increases a year in advance, hiked tuition for in-students at University Park 2% for 2026-27 and froze it for those attending Commonwealth campuses.

At Temple, fees will rise $42 or 3.9% to $1,098 annually. And room and board will increase 4%. Students in a typical double occupancy room at Johnson and Hardwick residence hall with 12 meals per week will pay $15,094 for the year.

Temple said it also would increase its financial aid budget by nearly 7% over last year to $196.1 million to help students with need afford the university.

“We know that financial barriers can impact our students and prevent them from persisting,” David Marino, interim chief operating officer, said in a statement. “This year’s historic investment in financial aid is an investment in the success of our students.”