The Board of Governors for Pennsylvania's State System of Higher Education took the historic step of freezing basic in-state tuition for a third consecutive year at its meeting on April 14, affirming its commitment to keeping public higher education at its 14 universities affordable for students during the ongoing pandemic.
The Board's unanimous vote keeps basic in-state tuition for undergraduate students in the 2021–22 academic year at $7,716. Also remaining the same will be the System's technology fee for students, which stands at $478 for the academic year.
IUP's tuition and fees will remain at current levels.
“I fully support this decision, even though it will squeeze IUP's budget a little bit more than planned next year,” IUP President Michael Driscoll said. “Students and their families are struggling with the financial impact of COVID-19 right now, and we need to focus on their needs and success.
“IUP will continue to do everything in our power to help our students and families, including working to secure private donations that will be used for scholarships and grants for students. Fortunately, IUP has incredibly generous alumni, students, employees, and friends who continue to contribute to funds like the Student Assistance Fund—currently at more than $480,000—that helps students affected financially by the pandemic—and to the Imagine Unlimited comprehensive campaign, which raised $81.36 million, the bulk of which will be used for scholarships and to enhance the student educational experience.”
“I am proud to join my fellow Board members in prioritizing an accessible, affordable public higher education for our students,” said Cindy Shapira, chair of the Board of Governors. “A quality education and an affordable one go hand-in-hand at our universities. Students deserve our full support as they continue focusing on attaining a degree through the pandemic.”
Never before has the State System kept year-to-year basic in-state tuition the same for three years, something Chancellor Greenstein pointed to as essential to fulfilling public higher education's mission.
“Sixty percent of jobs in Pennsylvania require a post-secondary degree, but only 47 percent of Pennsylvanians have one,” he said. “To help Pennsylvania build a modern-day economy, to remain a reliable pathway for students into and beyond the middle class, to ensure every Pennsylvanian who wants can access quality higher education, we must take bold action like today's vote on tuition.”