Listen to article \u2022\u00a00:00 min<\/p>\n
Students in the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education will face a 4.3% tuition hike \u2014 the largest percentage increase in a decade \u2014 if the system does not get a boost in state funding. <\/p>\n
PASSHE\u2019s board of governors voted unanimously Thursday on the plan, which would enact the tuition increase if the system doesn\u2019t receive a 5% or $31 million increase in its state appropriation, which currently stands at $625 million. Gov. Shapiro has proposed flat funding for the system, and budget negotiations are continuing.<\/p>\n
Tuition will rise to $8,338 annually, up $344 from $7,994.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re all disappointed to … have to make this motion,\u201d Board Chair Cynthia Shapira said. \u201cWe hope we do get the increase.\u201d<\/p>\n
The 10 universities in the system are: Cheyney, West Chester<\/a>, Commonwealth, East Stroudsburg, Indiana, Kutztown, Lock Haven, Millersville, Penn West and Shippensburg. Collectively, they enrolled 83,005 students last academic year when the system experienced its first enrollment increase<\/a> in 15 years. About 90% of students are Pennsylvania residents. <\/p>\n The vote to increase tuition comes one day after Temple University<\/a> approved a budget that increased tuition <\/a>an average of 3.4% for next year. <\/p>\n Rutgers University<\/a> also on Thursday voted to increase tuition 3% for in-state and out-of-state students, which the school touted as its lowest increase in four years. Tuition for a typical in-state, full-time arts and sciences undergraduate will increase on average $448 for the year, rising from $14,933 to $15,381, the school said. Meals and housing on average will rise 4%, from $15,332 to $15,945.<\/p>\n Earlier this year, the University of Pennsylvania<\/a> increased its total costs<\/a> by 3.8% for 2026-27. Pennsylvania State University, which approves tuition increases a year in advance, hiked tuition<\/a> 2% for in-state students at University Park for 2026-27 and froze it for those attending Commonwealth campuses. <\/p>\n The resolution approved by the PASSHE board calls for the increase to be rolled back \u201cif sufficient funding in state appropriation is received.\u201d<\/p>\n \u00bb READ MORE: Pa. public universities didn\u2019t get a state funding increase this year, and they\u2019re preparing for a tough enrollment outlook<\/a><\/p>\n System Chancellor Christopher Fiorentino said the tuition increase would cover the $31 million gap if the system doesn\u2019t get the increase. The system\u2019s board of governors took the same action<\/a> last year and did not roll back a 3.6% tuition hike because the state held its funding flat.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re still really the most affordable four-option that\u2019s out there,\u201d Fiorentino said in an interview before the meeting, comparing PASSHE schools to state-related universities like Temple and Penn State<\/a> where tuition is more than twice that amount.<\/p>\n Until 2025, the system had kept tuition at the same rate for seven years; if it had enacted inflationary increases, tuition would be $1,800 higher now, Fiorentino said. Preceding the freeze, tuition hikes were 2.5% in 2016-17, 3.5% in 2017-18<\/a> and 3% in 2018-19. <\/p>\n