WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. — Pennsylvania College of Technology’s Board of Directors has approved a $161.8 million total budget calling for a 2.81 percent increase in tuition in 2018-19, marking four consecutive years of increases below 3 percent.
When tuition and fees are combined, the increase for 2018-19 is 2.39 percent. Tuition increases have been 4 percent or less for the past six years.
The total budget represents a 4.07 percent increase over 2017-18, driven mostly by building and renovation projects, including expansion of facilities for welding instruction on the main campus and renovations to a facility (gifted by UPMC Susquehanna) to house Penn College at Wellsboro, where a Practical Nursing Program is being expanded.
The college’s state appropriation is budgeted to remain at the current level of $22.1 million, representing 13.6 percent of the total budget and 18.3 percent of the operating budget for 2018-19, which is $120.9 million.
“As always, our budgeting process aims to keep tuition and fee increases as low as possible for students and their families,” said President Davie Jane Gilmour. “With prudent planning, we have again held our increase below 3 percent. In addition, the budget accommodates a welding expansion that allows for 60 more students to enroll in a popular program in a high-demand career field. Similarly, it enables us to offer nursing instruction to a third more students at Wellsboro, while leaving room for additional programming options there. Providing technology-based education is not inexpensive, but the investment pays lifelong dividends for our in-demand graduates, who are able to find family-sustaining jobs in stable career fields.”
Rates for tuition and fees represent the bulk of Penn College’s budget revenues. A student’s annual costs are based on per-credit-hour fees. The number of credits for which a Penn College student is registered determines his or her actual cost.
Pennsylvania residents account for 90.2 percent of the college’s total enrollment of 5,465. Military veterans and students enrolled in Penn College’s online degree programs all pay the in-state tuition rate.
The in-state rate for tuition and fees in 2018-19 will be $558 per credit hour, an increase of $13 per credit. A full-time, in-state student enrolled for the typical two 15-credit semesters in 2018-19 will pay $16,740 in tuition and fees, an increase of $390 over 2017-18.
Tuition and fees for out-of-state students will increase $20 per credit — to $796 per credit hour — in 2018-19. A full-time nonresident student enrolled for two 15-credit semesters will pay a total of $23,880 in tuition and fees, an increase of $600 over 2017-18.
Residence Life increases for student housing will be 2 percent for all apartment/room configurations; board plans offered by Dining Services will rise by 1.5 percent.
To assist Penn College students with their college costs, a total of $95.8 million in financial aid from a variety of federal, state and local sources was awarded to 92.7 percent of enrollees in the most recent year for which data is available.
The college’s revenue-generating auxiliary fund budgets (Children’s Learning Center, Dining Services, The College Store, Residence Life, Workforce Development & Continuing Education projects) total $28.4 million. The restricted current fund budget — which includes grants, contracts and restricted donations for which outside entities (such as governmental agencies) direct the use of the money — is $12.5 million.
Due to retirements and the ongoing focus on strategic needs, total employee salary expenses are increasing less than 1 percent in the 2018-19 budget. The college continually evaluates and manages staffing levels.
Funding for new initiatives tied to the college’s Strategic Plan encompasses expansion of international education offerings, recruitment, donor cultivation, Information Technology Services projects and professional development for faculty and staff.
The budget includes gifts to the city of Williamsport ($100,000) and the Williamsport Area School District ($35,000). These voluntary contributions are re-evaluated annually by the college administration.
For more information about Penn College, a national leader in applied technology education and workforce development, visit www.pct.edu, email admissions@pct.edu or call 800-367-9222.