Tuition To Increase At Multiple PA Universities

PENNSYLVANIA — Tuition at numerous state colleges will increase under a plan approved Thursday by the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education's board of governors.

The increases will impact Cheyney, Commonwealth (Bloomsburg, Lock Haven and Mansfield), East Stroudsburg, Indiana, Kutztown, Millersville, PennWest (California, Clarion and Edinboro), Shippensburg, Slippery Rock and West Chester universities.

The agency is requesting a 6.5 percent increase in state funding to maintain flat tuition and has pledged to role back part or all of the tuition hike if the money is made available.

“Every dollar counts for our students" Cynthis Shapira, chair of the board of governors, said in a statement. "If the state provides the funding we’ve requested, PASSHE can roll back tuition to help students with other essential expenses."

Under the plan that was approved, in-state undergraduate tuition will increase $139 per semester to $3,997 per semester. Full-year tuition will increase by $278 to $7,994.

The public university system enrolls the largest number of in-state students of any four-year university system in Pennsylvania. Nearly 90 percent of students are Pennsylvania residents, and 80 percent attend full-time. More than 650,000 alumni live in the state.