News

July 18, 2008

Pennsylvania university tuitions, fees rise

Governing board OKs an average 3.5 percent tuition increase and a nearly similar boost in a technology fee.

By MARTHA RAFFAELE AP Education Writer

HARRISBURG — Students at Pennsylvania’s 14-state owned universities will have to dig deeper into their wallets to pay for tuition and technology.

The State System of Higher Education’s governing board on Thursday approved an average 3.5 percent tuition increase and a nearly similar boost in a separate technology fee for the 2008-09 school year.

At the suggestion of Chancellor John C. Cavanaugh, the board decided to raise tuition and the technology fees as a compromise in a debate over whether to boost tuition by as much as 4 percent or limit the increase to 3 percent.

“Technology is increasing in cost, and we have an obligation to our students to really do something on that front,” Cavanaugh said.

“The people that hire our students expect them to be current in technology.”

The universities will also be expected to cut about $7 million in combined spending because the tuition increase will not completely fill a $31.6 million shortfall in the system’s nearly $1.4 billion budget.

State funding for the universities’ education and general expenses is increasing by 3 percent this year to $498.5 million, about $10 million less than the system requested.

The state system schools are Bloomsburg, California, Cheyney, Clarion, East Stroudsburg, Edinboro, Indiana, Kutztown, Lock Haven, Mansfield, Millersville, Shippensburg, Slippery Rock and West Chester universities. They enroll more than 110,000 students.

Other public universities also have approved recent tuition increases.

Penn State students will see increases of around 5 to 6 percent.

The exact percentage will depend on the campus they attend and how many years they have been enrolled, among other factors.

The University of Pittsburgh is raising tuition by 6 percent for in-state students at its main campus and 4 percent for out-of-state students.

Increase by the numbers

State System of Higher Education 2008-09 annual tuition and technology fees:

TUITION

Pa. resident undergraduate: $5,358

Resident graduate: $6,430

Nonresident undergraduate: Range of $8,038 to $13,396

Nonresident graduate: $10,288

TECHNOLOGY FEE

Residents: $181

Nonresidents: $273

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