While tuition is likely to increase for the 2010-2011 school year, Penn State President Graham Spanier said football season tickets will not, during his report at today's Board of Trustees meeting when he recapped the university's achievements over the past decade.
He praised the university for its progress, which included receiving twice as much money in research expenditures, 5 million additional square feet to the Office of Physical Plant and increases in applications and enrollment, making Penn State "the most popular university in the nation."
Additionally, Spanier announced that there will be no increase in football season ticket prices for this coming fall, a decision that was made within the last few days, he said.
But he spoke with a heavier tone when he fielded a question about the university's budget problems in relation to state appropriations, which make up about 8 percent of Penn State's total operating funds.
"I think things are going to get more difficult with the budget," Spanier said. "A flat budget is not an unrealistic projection. This year is tight and next year will be tight and the following year is a huge uncertainty, caused by the fact that stimulus funding as currently appropriated will disappear. We don't know what the state of Pennsylvania's economy will be."
While Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell approved $334 million in state funding for the 2009-10 academic year, it did not completely compensate for the 3.9 percent budget increases faced by the university.
Though Penn State avoided mid-year tuition hikes, tuition increases are likely to be implemented for next year. Spanier said he will travel to Harrisburg on Feb. 23 to appeal for more appropriations.
The future of Penn State's appropriations will likely depend on the state's budget and how much of a commitment the next Pennsylvania governor will make to higher education, Spanier said. Currently, legislative appropriations rank fifth on the list of Penn State's revenue sources after tuition, Hershey Medical Center clinics, research, and self-supporting enterprises like athletics and the Bryce Jordan Center.
"For those who think we're a public university in the traditional sense -- it's an interesting concept," Spanier said.
Check back at psucollegian.com for updates, and read Monday's issue of The Daily Collegian for more details.
