In keeping with its ongoing commitment to affordability and meeting the needs of students, Indiana University of Pennsylvania’s Council of Trustees today approved reducing the annual tuition cost for domestic, out-of-state, undergraduate students.
Under this new plan, these students taking 15 credits a semester will see a reduction of approximately 20 percent, or $2,690, for the academic year.
Domestic, out-of-state, undergraduate students who take 18 credits a semester will save even more in annual tuition – a total of $5,468 per year; domestic, out-of-state, undergraduate students who take 13 or 14 credits will see a tuition savings of $838 and $1,764, respectively.
This reduction is effective for fall 2023.
Today’s action follows the fall 2022 implementation of the Tuition Affordability Plan, which provided a reduction in the annual tuition cost for in-state undergraduate students taking 15 credits by approximately 20 percent.
The newly approved domestic, out-of-state, undergraduate student tuition reduction plan mirrors the Tuition Affordability Plan model.
“We understand the financial challenges that our students and families continue to face,” IUP President Michael Driscoll said. “Affordability is a serious concern. The core principle of our strategic plan is student-centeredness, and this action helps us to meet the needs and wants of our students, as we continue to maintain our academic quality and rigor,” he said.
Domestic, out-of-state, undergraduate students who take less than 12 credits per semester are considered to be part-time students and will continue to pay $463 per credit.
This tuition reduction does not apply to graduate students or international undergraduate students.
“This proposal reflects significant, careful analysis and review by the Tuition Model and Pricing Workgroup, which includes students and members of the IUP community from across a number of divisions,” Driscoll said. “This group continues to do an incredible job in bringing new ideas and initiatives to the table, while keeping the changing needs of our students and families as the focus,” he said.
“I thank this group for its diligence – and its commitment to continuing to explore new options for affordability for students. I also want to thank Debra Fitzsimons, vice president for administration and finance, and Patricia McCarthy, vice president for enrollment management, for their leadership of this important workgroup.”
“I also want to express my appreciation to every member of our Council of Trustees for their leadership, foresight, and wise council related to this important work of affordability and student centeredness,” Driscoll said.
In fall 2022, IUP’s total enrollment of domestic, out-of-state undergraduates was about 4 percent of the overall total fall undergraduate population. In 2012, out of-state undergraduate domestic students were just under 7 percent of the overall total fall undergraduate population.
While national statistics show that distance from home is a significant factor in student retention (first-year to second-year enrollment), retention rates for undergraduate domestic students at IUP from outside Pennsylvania did not follow this national trend, the IUP workgroup found. From fall 2012 to 2022, out-of-state students have also typically enrolled in more average credits than in-state and international students.
“IUP remains committed to meeting the needs of our commonwealth students and families, but in light of changing demographics, especially in western Pennsylvania, offering an affordable, quality education to students from outside Pennsylvania just makes sense, and can help to address important workforce needs in our state,” IUP Council of Trustees Chairman Sam Smith said. “Offering this opportunity to out-of-state students also helps to increase the diversity of the IUP community, which is a key goal of our strategic plan.”
IUP has frozen tuition and fees and meal costs for the last four years and housing costs have remained steady since 2016. More than $2 million in housing scholarships have been given each year to students since fall 2021, and this $1,000 housing scholarship for new and continuing students who live in university residence halls will continue for fall 2023.
In 2022-2023, IUP students were awarded more than $16.4 million in scholarships from the university in addition to state and federal aid, and approximately 93 percent of fall 2022 first-year students were offered renewable merit scholarships, with an average award of $3,800.
Today’s action follows the March Council of Trustees approval of reductions for the installment payment and late payment fees.