Another tuition freeze at PSU? Trustee Brown hopes so
Trustee Ted Brown would like to see another tuition freeze at Penn State this July. Last year, the university held tuition the same for in-state students for the first time in nearly 50 years.
Pennsylvania State University's board of trustees are a couple months away from voting on next year's tuition rates.
But at least one board member, Ted Brown, who was re-elected this month to a second three-year term, says he wants to see another tuition freeze for in-state students.
The university last July for the first time in nearly 50 years held the line on tuition for in-state students.
"My personal goal is to try to have that again this July," Brown said.
Lawrence Lokman, university spokesman, said: "The university and all of the board are certainly committed to doing everything we can to hold down costs to students and families, but it's premature at this stage to make any statements about what will be possible."
The state's budget is supposed to be in place by July 1, but last year's was not passed until March. That leaves the university uncertain of how much state aid it will be receiving, he said.
Freshmen and sophomores at the University Park campus paid $16,572 in tuition this year, the same rate as 2014-15. Rates for upperclassmen and students at other campuses also were the same as 2014-15.
About three quarters of Penn State students are Pennsylvania residents.
Out-of-state students at University Park were charged a 2.99 percent increase, and increases for out-of-state students at branch campuses ranged from zero to 2.4 percent.
La Salle University earlier this year announced it would freeze tuition for undergraduate students next year. Manor College in Jenkintown announced a freeze this week.
