Tuition Hike At Penn State Lowest In Decades For Most Students; Differential Tuition Plan Adopted

7-11-97
Reading, Pa. -- Penn State's tuition increase this fall will be the lowest in decades for most students. Penn State has expanded existing differential tuition rates to reflect more closely the cost of a student's education. The policy keeps the 1997-98 base tuition increase to 3.7 percent for more than 55 percent of its students -- the lowest general tuition increase since 1968.

Meeting at Penn State Berks, Penn State's Board of Trustees today (July 11) approved differential tuition rates at the University Park campus and other campus locations for lower- and upper-division undergraduate students, graduate students and for resident and non-resident students. It also increased and expanded tuition surcharges for high-cost programs.

"Most fundamentally, the change we are implementing this year recognizes the higher costs associated with teaching upper-division students -- students who have completed 60 or more course credits," said Penn State President Graham B. Spanier. "The in-state tuition increase for lower division students at all Penn State locations is less than $100 per semester or 3.7 percent."

The tuition increase will be slightly higher for upper-division students as the first year of a three-year phase-in of differential tuition. In addition, tuition rates for Pennsylvania resident students in the new colleges at Abington, Altoona, Berks/Lehigh Valley will be brought up to the University Park, Erie and Harrisburg level over several years.

Nearly 40,000 students or 55 percent of the student population will have a tuition increase of 3.7 percent or less; about 13,000 students or 17.6 percent will have an increase between 3.8 and 4.5 percent; about 19,000 students or just over 26 percent will have an increase between 4.6 and 5.5 percent; and the increase for just 1 percent or 830 students will be 5.6 percent or higher.

At University Park, in-state tuition for lower-division students will be $2,816 a semester and $2,866 for in-state upper-division students. Out- of-state lower-division and upper-division undergraduate tuition will be $6,103 and $6,153, respectively.

Most in-state graduate students will pay $3,151 or an increase of $112 at University Park, out-of state graduate tuition for most will be $6,490. Those in the MBA program will pay slightly more.

"Recognizing the higher costs associated with some programs, we are also extending tuition surcharges to science and nursing. Surcharges have been in existence at Penn State for some time for upper-division and graduate students in engineering and engineering technology, earth and mineral sciences, architecture and landscape architecture, " Spanier said. "We feel this is an appropriate approach to support the special laboratory and equipment needs of students in science and the high cost or required clinical experiences in nursing."

The surcharge for upper-division students in engineering and related fields at University Park is $225 per semester. Phasing in a similar fee for students in science, the 1997-98 surcharge in science is $75. The surcharge for nursing is $250 per semester.

There will be no change in the student activity fee of $25, but the computer fee for all students will increase from $70 a semester to $75 to expand student access to technology.

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Contact:
Bill Mahon (814) 865-7517 (office) (814) 237-5625 (home) np3@psu.edu
Christy Rambeau (814) 865-7517 (office) (814) 237-9046 (home) cmr7@psu.edu