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Without legislative help, state universities set to raise tuition
State schools in Pennsylvania will be seeing a small tuition increase for the upcoming school year, but it might not happen depending on the state legislature’s budget negotiations.
The board of governors of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education on Thursday set the 2026-27 in-state undergraduate tuition rate for PASSHE universities but committed to roll back the rate if the state provides sufficient funding to maintain flat tuition as part of the state budget currently being negotiated.
As proposed, the 2026-27, in-state undergraduate tuition will increase by $172 per semester.
The new tuition rate will be $4,169 per semester, or $8,338 for a full academic year, the lowest university tuition in the state.
The board said that by setting tuition now, it provides clarity for students before the academic year begins next month while preserving flexibility for state leaders during budget negotiations.
The board noted that state-run universities still offer the most affordable four-year college option in Pennsylvania.
“Affordability is essential to universal access to post-secondary education, and is one of the core purposes of ESU and our sister institutions,” said Kenneth Long, president of East Stroudsburg University. “ESU is the only four-year public university in the region, and our ability to deliver on this promise plays an essential role in continuing the economic vitality of the Pocono Mountains.
The Board of Governors kept in-state undergraduate tuition frozen from 2018 to 2024.
The system enrolls about 83,000 students, nearly 90% of whom are Pennsylvania residents, and nearly 20,000 students graduate from PASSHE universities each year.
