Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education (PASSE) has voted unanimously to freeze tuition for the fifth consecutive year. The decision will keep the tuition from inflation, which would have made tuition 21% higher from 2018. In-state undergraduate tuition will remain at $7,716 for the sixth year, and PASSHE students will receive $125 million in university-funded financial aid.
Cynthia Shapira, chair of the Board of Governors, said that “freezing tuition for a fifth consecutive year has been a major priority for the State System universities to best serve our 85,000 students – many of whom are from low- and middle-income families”. She also expressed gratitude to the General Assembly and Governor Shapiro for their continued strong investment in PASSHE students and the state-owned, public universities that serve them.
The House and Senate passed a state budget that would provide an increase of $33 million to PASSHE universities. In the last two years, funding has been increased by the state by $108 million with PASSHE receiving $585.6 million.
Chancellor Dan Greenstein said that “PASSHE is proud of our partnership with the state, which helps Pennsylvania’s students get the education and skills for the most in-demand jobs at the lowest cost”. He also emphasized that higher education is changing, and State System universities are continuing to evolve to meet the new needs of students, employers, and Pennsylvania’s economy.
Together with the state, PASSHE is strengthening the pipeline of talented and skilled people from the classroom to the workforce and providing value to students as they gain the knowledge to build successful careers close to home.
