Penn State's Board of Trustees approved the largest tuition increase in 20 years earlier today.
The university's $2.4 million budget includes a 13.5 percent tuition increase, the largest since 1982-83. Tuition went up 14.6 percent that year, Penn State spokesman Gary Cramer said.
Lower-division students (those who have earned fewer than 60 credits) at University Park will see an increase of $477 per semester, while upper-division students will have to pay an additional $502 a semester. Graduate students will face an increase of $534 per semester.
Additionally, tuition at the Dickinson School of Law will increase 20.9 percent, or $1,927 per semester and College of Medicine students will face a 9 percent increase. In-state tuition will cost $23,910, while out-of-state tuition will cost $33,240 a year.
The trustees also adopted the recommendations made by the Tuition Task Force, a committee appointed by Penn State President Graham Spanier last year to suggest new tuition models for the university.
These suggestions include a surcharge for incoming freshmen in fall 2003, as well as rethinking the current 2 to 1 differential between tuition for in-state students and out-of-state students at University Park.
This year's tuition increase followed the 1 percent catch-up plan described in the task force report. The 1 percent catch-up plan involves increasing costs plus 1 percent to improve in rankings in areas such as faculty salaries.
Spanier told the trustees yesterday that salary adjustments were the largest component of the budget. Since 1995-96, the university has fallen from second to fourth in salaries for professors in the Big Ten, second to sixth for associate professors, and moved from eighth to fifth for assistant professors.
Undergraduate Student Government President Rubina Javeri said students should take an active role in trying to keep Penn State affordable for all who wish to attend.
"I think once again the burden's on students," she said. "We need to be more involved in the tuition and appropriation process."
