PASSHE has frozen tuition since 2018 and decreased the net price to students for a second consecutive year.

Harrisburg, PA – Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education (PASSHE) Interim Chancellor Christopher Fiorentino will encourage the General Assembly to increase state funding to enable the State System to keep tuition frozen for an eighth year and invest in student success initiatives. Chancellor Fiorentino will testify before the Senate Appropriations Committee on Feb. 18 and the House Appropriations Committee on Feb. 20.

PASSHE is requesting a state appropriation of $661.1 million, which represents an increase of $40.3 million, or 6.5%, over the current year. Fiorentino will thank Governor Josh Shapiro for including the amount PASSHE requested in his budget proposal and thank the General Assembly for supporting increased investment in PASSHE universities in recent years.

“Increased funding from the legislature and governor in recent years has helped PASSHE to keep tuition frozen since 2018. We appreciate the state’s strong support of PASSHE students and universities, and we are seeking an additional investment this year to enable us to freeze tuition again,” said Fiorentino. “Affordability is critically important to students and families, and tuition freezes ultimately help our state to have a strong workforce to grow the economy.”

Prioritizing Student Affordability
PASSHE’s in-state undergraduate tuition has remained at $7,716 per year since 2018, despite inflationary pressures throughout the economy. Cost matters to students and families, and PASSHE’s repeated freezes are saving students nearly 25% in tuition costs – equal to a free year of college – compared to the rate if tuition had risen with inflation.

In addition to freezing tuition, the net price new students pay after financial aid to live on campus (tuition, fees, housing, food, books and other expenses) has declined over the past two years, demonstrating the System universities’ commitment to student affordability.

“Affordable higher education opens doors of opportunity and transforms lives,” said Fiorentino. “Our universities do that every day – offering a high-quality and high-value education that delivers on our mission and benefits every county in the state.”

With more than 80,000 students, 90% of whom are from Pennsylvania, PASSHE universities have the most in-state students of any four-year college or university system in the state. More than 650,000 alumni live in Pennsylvania and contribute to their local communities and economies.

PASSHE’s upward trajectory
Fiorentino will also highlight the State System’s continued upward trajectory, with stable enrollment, academic programs aligned to workforce needs and improved financial sustainability.

Fueled by tuition freezes, PASSHE’s enrollment was stable in fall 2024 for the first time in more than a decade. Despite headwinds confronting higher education, the State System had strong enrollment growth of new graduate and transfer students, which is a positive sign of PASSHE’s resiliency.

PASSHE universities also coordinate with the private sector to align courses and programs with employer needs and create tremendous value. Two-thirds of graduates earn degrees in STEM, healthcare, education, business and other areas with in-demand jobs.

Pennsylvania does not have enough traditional college-age students to fill worker shortages, so the State System is expanding options for people of all ages and career stages to quickly obtain new skills or earn increasingly advanced credentials throughout their professional lifetime, helping the state close workforce gaps.

“Pennsylvania has worker shortages in many industries, and affordability is critical to helping students to get the education necessary to start their careers,” said Fiorentino. “State funding allows PASSHE to provide a college education at great value to students and, in turn, a tremendous return on investment for Pennsylvania.”

Annual Accountability Report
The State System annually releases an extensive appropriations request and accountability report that details its contributions to the state, enrollment and graduation rates, student affordability and university sustainability.

About PASSHE
Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education (PASSHE) is the public university system of the commonwealth with a mission to provide a high-quality education at the lowest possible cost to students. The State System annually confers more than 20,000 degrees and has more than 800,000 living alumni, most of whom live in Pennsylvania. The State System universities are Cheyney, Commonwealth (Bloomsburg, Lock Haven and Mansfield), East Stroudsburg, Indiana, Kutztown, Millersville, PennWest (California, Clarion and Edinboro), Shippensburg, Slippery Rock and West Chester universities of Pennsylvania.