Purdue proposes frozen tuition and fee cuts to Board of Trustees

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Purdue University officials proposed frozen tuition and some fee cuts for its West Lafayette campus to the Board of Trustees' Finance Committee on Thursday (May 9).

The board will conduct a public hearing Wednesday, May 22, on proposed tuition and fees to be paid by students attending any of the university's campuses during the 2013-14 and 2014-15 academic years.

The proposal calls for frozen tuition and cuts in the costs for meal plans and university cooperative education programs for all students at the West Lafayette campus and a 2 percent tuition and fee increase at Purdue's three regional campuses for each of the next two years.

"This is the right thing to do for students and families in this period of economic stagnation. At the same time, keeping higher education affordable and accessible, especially for science and engineering degrees, is the best form of economic development Purdue can provide for Indiana and the country," said Purdue President Mitch Daniels.

Three pre-existing fees already slated for increases will rise on the West Lafayette campus. The student fitness and wellness fee will increase $82 the first year, and the student activity fee will increase $10 each year. The engineering differential fee, which only applies to undergraduate engineering students, will increase $250 each year.

Fees for meal plans will be cut 5 percent from a previously authorized increase, the internship/co-op/professional practice fee will be reduced by $514 for non-credit internships, and all other general fees will be held flat. A new instructional support fee of $500 would be added for incoming veterinary medicine students.

Tuition and fees for resident students would be $9,992 in 2013-14 and $10,002 in 2014-15.

Out-of-state students also would see an increase of $92 the first year and $10 the next year. Tuition and fees for nonresident students would be $28,794 in 2013-14 and $28,804 in 2014-15. International students enrolled prior to summer 2011 would pay $28,794; those enrolled prior to summer 2012 would pay $29,830; and those enrolled in summer 2012 or after would pay $30,794 in 2013-14, with an increase of $10 for each category for 2014-15.

The combined tuition freeze and meal plan reductions would save a resident student signed up for the 12-meal plan $358 per year over previously authorized levels. More than 9,000 students purchase campus meal plans.

Purdue's tuition and fees currently rank ninth out of 11 public Big Ten universities for resident undergraduates and sixth for nonresident students.

Fees for students at other Purdue campuses are assessed on a per-credit-hour basis. The rates, which reflect a 2 percent increase, for resident and nonresident students, respectively, are:

* Purdue Calumet - $237 and $535

* Purdue North Central - $240 and $570

* Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne - $260 and $624

The public hearing will begin at 2:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 22, in Stewart Center, Room 326, as a special meeting of the Executive Committee of the university's Board of Trustees. The proposed fees will be discussed, and the public will have a chance to comment. The Executive Committee will act on behalf of the board and will vote on the fee proposal and the 2013-14 system-wide conceptual budget plan during the meeting.

A videoconference connection also will allow public input from Purdue's regional campuses.

Those wishing to speak at the hearing should notify the Board of Trustees' office in advance at 765-494-9710 or e-mail trustees@purdue.edu. A summary and complete details of the fee proposal are available online. Each speaker will be scheduled in the order they register and allotted three minutes to make comments at the hearing, which will last 30 minutes.

Written comments also may be submitted via e-mail or sent to the Office of the Board of Trustees, Hovde Hall, 610 Purdue Mall, West Lafayette, IN 47907.

Anyone wanting to offer testimony at one of the statewide campuses should contact that campus for directions to the videoconference location. Those locations and phone numbers are:

* Purdue Calumet: Millard E. Gyte Science Building, Room 103; 219-989-2040

* Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne: Kettler Hall, Room 178; 260-481-6103

* Purdue North Central: Library-Student-Faculty Building, Room 002; 219-785-5511 

Writer: Chris Sigurdson, 765-496-2644, sig@purdue.edu