Board of Trustees approves tuition hike

Pitt’s Board of Trustees approved a 3.25 percent tuition hike for students attending Pitt’s main campus as a part of a $1.94 billion operating budget during a public meeting Wednesday morning.

This is the second year in a row where the tuition rate has remained around the national inflation rate. For in-state students attending the Kenneth P. Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences, tuition will increase by $255 per semester. Out-of-state students’ tuition will increase by $413. According to a University statement, this is the second-lowest increase since 1975. Last year’s operating budget included a 3 percent tuition hike.

The statement also noted that applications to all University programs have increased by 16 percent over the past year. From in-state residents, they’ve increased by 13 percent

Pitt’s medical students will be hit the hardest. Tuition rates at the School of Medicine will increase by five percent. The University attributes this significant increase for medical students to recover from budget cuts that took away 50 percent of its state funding two years ago. At the time, the reductions in state funding only took away 19 percent of other programs’ funding.

Although tuition is frozen at Pitt’s Titusville campus, tuition rates at its Greensburg, Bradford and Johnstown campuses will increase by two percent. For in-state students enrolled at these campuses, this means an increase of $119 per semester, according to the same statement.

The University-wide blended tuition for this, which is the average increase in tuition for all of Pitt’s campuses, is 3 percent.

“Maintaining low tuition levels while continuing to invest in quality has been a particular challenge as public support for public higher education has decreased,” Chancellor Mark A. Nordenberg said in the statement.

The University statement pointed out that although the Consumer Price Index has risen by 53 percent over the last 18 years, inflation has hit higher education harder. The Higher Education Price Index, which measures university operating costs into account, has risen by about 77 percent.

But Pitt also increased financial aid. This fiscal year’s budget allocates $165 million in assistance. University Chief Financial Officer Arthur Ramicone said that this increase is commensurate with the increases in tuition rates.

The University also provided for an increase in its salary pool of 2.5 percent.

“The University’s remarkable record of progress is obviously a reflection of the significant role that faculty and staff play at Pitt,” Nordenberg said. “They have made salary sacrifices in recent years and are forging ahead with substantially reduced numbers,”

A previous version of this article stated that the latest budget allocates an additional $165 million toward financial aid. This was incorrect. The budget allocates $165 million.