On May 7, Indiana University of Pennsylvania’s Council of Trustees endorsed IUP President Michael Driscoll’s recommendation for tuition and fees for students enrolling in IUP’s Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree program in IUP’s proposed college of osteopathic medicine.
The annual tuition for students who live in Pennsylvania will be $43,200, and $65,000 for students who live outside Pennsylvania who enroll in the degree program for the 2027–28 academic year, with an adjusted three percent base increase annually for all four years.
Trustees also supported President Driscoll’s recommendation of annual fees for future students in the Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine program totaling $1,570: a $350 technology fee, a $500 student activity fee, and a $720 graduate service fee. These fees would apply to both Pennsylvania and out-of-state residents and would remain static through the 2030–31 academic year.
“IUP’s Council of Trustees has been at the forefront of supporting and advancing IUP’s proposed college of osteopathic medicine as a critically important solution to the Commonwealth’s rural health crisis,” President Driscoll said. “Today’s endorsement of tuition and fees for the Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree program continues to demonstrate the Council of Trustees’ commitment to both our proposed college of osteopathic medicine and to providing a high-quality, affordable osteopathic medicine education,” he said.
During the Administration and Finance Committee meeting report earlier in the day, Vice President for Administration and Finance Peter Holden presented information about the recommended costs, developed “in alignment with the mission and values of the proposed college of osteopathic medicine and in support of IUP’s roots as a public institution,” he said.
Part of his presentation included information on tuition at 10 colleges of osteopathic medicine in Pennsylvania, used to help determine the recommendation for President Driscoll’s review and Trustee consideration.
Tuition at these 10 private institutions for students living in Pennsylvania ranges from $44,278 to $71,080. For students living outside Pennsylvania and enrolled in one of these Pennsylvania institutions, tuition costs range from $44,278 to $73,880.
Holden also said that the recommendation was developed while maintaining alignment with Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education Board of Governors policies, a projected enrollment of both in-state and out-of-state students, and a fee structure that ensures sufficient revenue at a competitive level for students.
The Trustees also were informed of a refund period and refund percentage for students in the doctoral program students that mirrors IUP’s refund period and percentage policy.
About IUP’s Proposed College of Osteopathic Medicine
IUP’s proposed college of osteopathic medicine currently holds “candidate status” from the American Osteopathic Association’s Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation, which recognizes that IUP has done the required planning and has the resources necessary to apply for pre-accreditation status within two years. “Candidate status” is the second step in seeking accreditation from COCA.
The IUP proposed college of osteopathic medicine is currently being considered by COCA for the next step in the accreditation process, “pre-accreditation status.” When proposed colleges achieve pre-accreditation status, they are permitted to begin recruiting students.
In April, IUP’s Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree program was approved by Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education Chancellor Chris Fiorentino; approval of the degree program by the chancellor is part of the process for a university in the Pennsylvania State System to add an academic program to its offerings.
If pre-accreditation status is given by COCA, IUP anticipates admitting the first class of students for the proposed college of osteopathic medicine in 2027.
Securing clinical training sites for students is part of a successful accreditation process; IUP has secured clinical training partnerships at more than 20 sites across the commonwealth, more than 270 percent of the required 120 percent of clinical training spots needed for accreditation.
Typically, students in colleges of osteopathic medicine spend the first two years of their education in the classroom; during the third and fourth years, students are based in the community at clinical sites. IUP also has secured a pre-clinical training agreement with the Indiana County Coroner’s Office for future students at IUP’s proposed college of osteopathic medicine.
Students studying for a doctor of osteopathic medicine degree, or DO, complete four years of osteopathic medical school, with an emphasis on preventive medicine and comprehensive patient care. They are trained to recognize the interrelated unity among all systems of the body, each working with the other to promote overall health and wellness. Osteopathic medical schools have a long tradition of serving rural communities.
National data shows that physicians who are trained in osteopathic medicine are four times more likely to select primary care specialties and almost twice as likely to practice in rural areas as allopathic (MD) students are. The Association of American Medical Colleges forecasts a shortage of up to 86,000 US physicians by 2036.
National studies also show that graduates from programs of osteopathic medicine are more likely to pursue primary care in rural and underserved areas—57 percent of all doctors of osteopathic medicine practice as general practitioners, and more than 20 percent of DO graduates practice in rural areas. Demand is high for osteopathic medicine training: in 2024, more than 22,000 applicants competed for 9,600 seats at schools of osteopathic medicine; students in osteopathic medicine programs currently make up more than 25 percent of medical students in the US.
Once fully operational, IUP’s proposed college of osteopathic medicine is expected to generate almost $50 million in annual economic impact for the Commonwealth. Long-term, if just 60 percent of IUP’s proposed college of osteopathic medicine graduates remain in Pennsylvania, the annual economic impact for the state is estimated at $1.3 billion.
IUP’s proposed college of osteopathic medicine and IUP’s commitment to addressing the rural health crisis have resulted in funding of $54 million from individual donors, foundations, and agencies. Gifts include:
- Today (May 7), the university announced a $4 million gift from a Pittsburgh foundation for the proposed college of osteopathic medicine.
- In April, Jere Cowden, a 1969 economics graduate, and Sharon Tahl Cowden, a 1971 medical technology graduate and 2013 Distinguished Alumni Award recipient, gifted $50,000 to support the proposed college of osteopathic medicine.
- In March, Terry Serafini, a 1961 mathematics education and physics education graduate from Pittsburgh, gifted IUP $1 million to the project.
- In December 2025, Ruth Riesenman, of Indiana, a 1964 alumna and retired IUP administrator, designated part of her $25,000 gift to support the proposed college of osteopathic medicine.
- In September 2025, IUP graduates David (1971) and Becky Walzak (1970) made a $500,000 donation for the proposed college of osteopathic medicine.
- In August 2025, John (Jack) and Linda Brose, of Athens, Ohio, gifted $25,000 for scholarships for future students at the proposed college of osteopathic medicine; Brose joined IUP’s proposed college of osteopathic medicine team as a consultant and executive mentor in 2022.
- In July 2025, John Ninosky, a 1993 criminology graduate, gifted $50,000 for future students at the proposed college of osteopathic medicine in honor of his late wife, Tammy Beale Ninosky, a 1993 IUP child development and family relations graduate.
- In June 2025, IUP received a $50,000 gift from Thomas R. Smith, of Hollidaysburg, who received a master’s degree in secondary counselor education from IUP in 1976 and retired from a 40-year career in education.
- In April 2025, IUP received a $1-million gift from an anonymous alumnus of IUP, who is a native of Indiana County, and a $50,000 gift from Lt. Col. Barry Gasdek, a 1964 graduate and 2015 Distinguished Alumni Award recipient originally from Westmoreland County.
- In February 2025, IUP announced gifts totaling $500,000: a $250,000 gift from an anonymous donor and a $250,000 gift from the Fairman Family Foundation of DuBois.
- In December 2024, Theodore Lazzaro, board-certified surgeon and founder of Aestique Med Spa, gifted $50,000 to IUP for scholarships for students in health care professions.
- In October 2024, the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education Board of Governors designated $2 million in design funds as part of the 2024–25 State System of Higher Education capital allocations budget for the academic building renovation for the health sciences cluster and proposed college of osteopathic medicine.
- Senator Joe Pittman and Representative Jim Struzzi announced in October 2024 that $2 million from the 2024–25 state budget has been set aside for the project.
- In July 2024, IUP graduates Tim and Debra Phillips Cejka (1973) gave $2 million for the proposed college.
- In June 2024, the Foundation for IUP committed $20 million.
- In May 2024, Congressman Guy Reschenthaler included $2 million for IUP’s project among his FY25 requested community projects, and Senator John Fetterman included $2 million on his list to advance in the FY25 Community Project Funding process.
- IUP received a $150,000 allocation for the project in the federal Consolidated Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2024, which was sponsored by Congressman Reschenthaler and Senator Fetterman and signed into law by President Joe Biden on March 9, 2024.
- In February 2024, the Board of Governors allocated $500,000 for a facilities feasibility study for academic facilities for IUP’s health sciences cluster and proposed college of osteopathic medicine.
- In January 2024, IUP’s Alumni Association Board of Directors authorized a donation of $500,000.
- In December 2023, Sen. Pittman announced that as part of the 2023–24 state budget, $2 million was set aside for the project.
- In July 2023, IUP graduates Nick Jacobs and Mary Ann Hoysan Jacobs donated $40,000 to advance the project. Nick Jacobs is a 2005 Distinguished Alumni Award recipient who has a 1969 bachelor’s degree in education and a 1972 master’s degree in music education; Mary Ann Jacobs has a 1968 bachelor’s degree in music education and a 1993 master’s degree in adult and community education.
- In May 2023, Rich Caruso, a 1983 accounting graduate from Meadow Lands, 2023 Distinguished Alumni Award recipient, and former president and current member of the Foundation for IUP Board of Directors and member of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education Board of Governors, announced a pledge of $1 million for the project.
Since its founding in 1875, IUP has evolved from a teacher-training institution into a doctoral research university recognized for its commitment to student success and achievement. As IUP celebrates its 150th anniversary during the 2025–26 academic year, the university honors a legacy of educational excellence while looking toward a future of innovation, leadership in healthcare education, and public service.