By Jillian Baker
News Editor

The Board of Governors of PASSHE approved a 3.5 percent increase in tuition for the 2017-18 academic year.

According to the PASSHE press release, “the $127-per-semester increase sets the base tuition rate for most full-time Pennsylvania residents—who comprise about 90 percent of all State System university students—at $3,746 per term, or $7,492 for the full year.”

The state system universities will remain the lowest cost option among all four-year colleges and universities in Pennsylvania.

“The tuition increase will help offset about half of a projected $71.7 million budget deficit across the System. The universities still will be required to trim a combined nearly $37.8 million in expenditures to balance their individual budgets this year,” according to the press release per PASSHE.

Board of Governors Chairwoman Cynthia D. Shapira said, “The Universities—despite the enormous challenges they have faced over the last decade and continue to face today have done an extraordinary job of controlling their expenses in order to maintain the best quality and affordable higher education for our students.”

“This new investment in the State System will help our universities continue to serve our students and the entire Commonwealth,” said Chancellor Brogan, who recently retired Sept. 1.

Nonresident, undergraduate tuition will increase by 3.5 percent, ranging from $11,238 to $18,730 for 2017-18. There will also be a $17 increase in graduate tuition per credit, raising the price to $500. The nonresident graduate tuition rate increased an amount of $25 to $750. The technology fee is $464 for full-time resident students and $706 for full-time nonresidents.