PSU proposes less than 3 percent tuition hike for U. Park students
Tuition increases at Penn State would vary. In-state freshmen and sophomores at University Park would pay 2.72 percent, and out-of-state students 2.99 percent.
In-state freshmen and sophomores at Pennsylvania State University would see their tuition rise 2.7 percent or $450 for 2015-16 under a proposal passed by the board of trustee's finance committee on Thursday morning.
Under the proposal, the students would pay $17,022, up from $16,572 last year.
The full board, which is meeting this week at the university's Beaver campus in western Pennsylvania, will vote on the proposal Friday.
In March, trustees approved a 3.89 percent increase in room and board costs. That means, if the tuition proposal is adopted this week, the total price tag including fees would exceed $28,000 for next year.
The tuition increase would be steeper for out-of-state students - 2.99 percent or $882. They would pay $30,404 for tuition, and their total cost would top $41,400.
Tuition increases for juniors and seniors, both in-state and out-of-state, would vary depending on their majors.
Increases for students at Penn State's branch campuses also would vary.
At eight of the 19 undergraduate campuses — Shenango, Beaver, DuBois, Fayette, Greater Allegheny, Mont Alto, New Kensington and Wilkes-Barre — there would be no increase in tuition. At six campuses - Brandywine, Hazleton, Lehigh Valley, Schuylkill, Worthington Scranton and York - the increase would be under 1 percent. Students at Abington, Altoona, Berks, Erie and Harrisburg would get a 1.2 percent increase under the proposal.
The finance committee also endorsed a freeze on the university's technology fee, the first in 20 years. Full-time students at University Park would pay $942 in technology, facilities and activities fees annually next year under the proposal.
The board also on Friday will vote on the university's proposed $4.9 billion operating budget for 2015-16, which assumes a 3 percent increase in general state funding or about $6.4 million, for a total of $220.5 million.
Temple University earlier this week adopted its budget, assuming a 5.4 percent increase in general state funding.
State lawmakers have not yet agreed on a budget for the fiscal year. Republican lawmakers have proposed a 3 percent increase in funding for state-related universities, while Gov. Wolf has sought a larger amount.