Jul. 19, 2019
HARRISBURG – Speaker of the House of Representatives Mike Turzai (R-Allegheny) today praised Penn State and the 14 state-owned universities for freezing tuition for the 2019-20 school year.
For the second consecutive year, Penn State trustees approved a 2019-20 budget that freezes undergraduate tuition rates for Pennsylvania resident students at all campuses. Combined with all mandatory student fees, the total cost of attendance for a Pennsylvania resident student at University Park is $29,802 per semester, without financial aid.
Overall, higher education received increased state funding in the 2019-2020 state budget. Penn State received a total of $268.8 million, an increase of $8.74 million, or 3.4%. The appropriation for General Support received $242.1 million, an increase of $4.74, or 2%, over the amount the year before. The State System of Higher Education received $477.47 million, an increase of $9.36 million or 2%.
Penn State indicated it will use the new state funding to keep tuition rates stable. As approved by the trustees, tuition and fees for Pennsylvania freshman and sophomore undergraduate students will be $18,450. Tuition for juniors and senior undergraduates increases by $1,400 to as much as $5,000, depending on the major.
“We are thrilled that Penn State Trustees and Penn State President Eric Barron are committed to helping ensure that college remains affordable for our students. In our previous state budget, as in our new spending plan, we had hoped that state funding would compel tuition freezes,” said Turzai, who served on the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE) Board of Governors and who last year voted against tuition increases at the PASSHE schools. “This year, with PASSHE announcing its tuition freeze, 90,000 students going to school this fall will pay the same this year as they did in 2018-19. We are thankful to PASSHE Board Member, Representative Brad Roae, (R-Meadville), for his leadership with holding the line on PASSHE tuition.”
Tuition at the 14 state-owned schools for an in-state, full-time student will remain at $7,716.
Representative Mike Turzai
Speaker of the House
28th District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Media Contact: Christine Goldbeck
717.787.7977 (office) 570.205.0736 (cell)
cgoldbec@pahousegop.com
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