The Penn State Board of Trustees passed the budget which will usher this new wave of cost that will take place next July, reports Campus Reform. The changes will increase the price of in-state tuition by 2.5%, with out-of-state tuition increasing by 4%. Living expenses and dining plans are also on the rise.
The university recently announced that it would be shutting the doors of seven satellite campuses, which caused the university to lose $79 million in tuition.
The board did give the green light to raise salaries of the faculty and staff, including a $210,000 bonus to Neeli Bendapudi, the university president.
Austin Browne, a reporter at Campus Reform who covered this story, says this really shows the prisonization of the board at Penn State.
“Right now, the school is facing a multi-million-dollar deficit, and the way that its attempting to cover those costs is by increasing student tuition. As that's happening and as they're attempting to fill the gap by raising costs on the backs of students, they're simultaneously lining the pockets of the president,” Browne states.
He also mentions that diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) has been viewed as a potential culprit for the rise in tuition prices, saying that DEI expenditures are relevant to why Penn State has made this decision.
Furthermore, Browne thinks the school should realize that they're a recipient of taxpayer funds and learn to be more financially responsible.
“The school should be spending money on showing why a degree is worthwhile and what value that will have for a student in their career,” Browne says.
According to Campus Reform, Penn State is not the only university going through this situation. Tuition at 16 schools have apparently risen because of commitment to DEI initiatives. For example, Syracuse University created a task force to deal with their declining enrollment and rising deficit problem, and it also happened to spend much money to DEI hiring practices.
