Applications to Penn State programs have increased by 6,300 compared to this time last year, Penn State President Graham Spanier said in his opening remarks to the Board of Trustees Friday.

The 10.6 percent increase includes all undergraduate and graduate programs at all Penn State campuses, Penn State spokesman Tysen Kendig said. He added the university has a centralized admissions process that is not based on any campus in particular.

Patrick Smith, director of communications and customer services, said admissions officials spend a lot of time getting students to understand that there is a connection between all Penn State campuses.

"We are pushing very hard the notion of Penn State as a system," Smith said.

Smith said despite the increase in applications, selectivity for admission at University Park would not change much because of Penn State's ability to

offer students admission to commonwealth campuses.

"The degree of difference from year to year at Penn State may be less than what you would find at other colleges and universities because we have more campuses to choose from and more opportunities than an institution that is only a single campus," Smith said.

Lynn DuBois, associate director of housing, said the department does not have any plans to increase housing options despite the greater amount of applications. The university has a target range of how many students it wants to have at University Park, DuBois said, and if that were going to be changed, the department would have to consider new housing options.

"At this point we're not planning for any new housing unless we see a change in the university planning that would precipitate us going back and looking at how much housing is needed," she said.

Terrell Jones, vice provost for educational equity, said applications from minority students have also increased, as has the overall percentage of minority students in kindergarten through 12th grade.

"Therefore, there are more students of color out there in the K through 12 population who could potentially choose Penn State," Jones said. "The bad news for all students is that the cost of higher education continues to escalate and the support from the federal and state governments has not kept pace with the escalating costs."