NewU board OKs tuition rates for Indiana residents, Purdue employees

Free tuition for Purdue faculty, staff

Indiana resident cost to degree: $39,600 at NewU vs. $80,088 at Purdue WL 

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — In its inaugural regular meeting, the Board of Trustees for Purdue’s new affiliated institution, currently referred to as NewU, approved plans to offer a dramatic tuition discount for Indiana resident students and free tuition for Purdue employees.

The new Indiana resident rate, also approved by Kaplan University’s trustees, will take effect at the beginning of KU’s next academic term. The faculty/staff tuition policy will take effect when Purdue NewU becomes operational. Purdue employees will be able to take degree and non-degree programs tuition-free, and a spouse, child or immediate family member (sons/daughters-in-law, grandchildren and step-grandchildren) will receive a 50 percent tuition discount.

The NewU board, meeting Friday (June 16) in conjunction with the stated meeting of Purdue University’s Board of Trustees, also established an advisory committee to gather input and offer recommendations to the board.

“It’s fitting that one of this board’s first actions is to approve a major tuition discount for Hoosiers and essentially free continuing education for Purdue employees,” said Purdue President Mitch Daniels. “It reflects Purdue’s objective to be affordable for our students and commitment to the growth and development of all our co-workers.”

An Indiana resident student pursuing an associate or bachelor’s degree will pay the equivalent of $220, including technology fees, per quarterly credit hour, which is a discount of approximately 45 percent. The total cost to graduation for a bachelor’s degree would be $39,600, compared to a total cost to degree of $80,088 (including room and board) for Indiana residents at Purdue’s West Lafayette campus.

Indiana residents pursuing a master’s degree or a graduate certificate will receive a 10 percent discount.

The employee rate, contingent upon maintaining a GPA of 3.0 or higher, applies to employees at the West Lafayette and all regional campuses, as well as other benefits-eligible Purdue employees such as those living around the state and working for Purdue Extension.

The advisory committee formed by the board is responsible for advising and making proposals and recommendations to the board and coordinating the delivery of back-office services and support functions.

Committee members are Morgan Burke, vice president for special projects and former director of Purdue Intercollegiate Athletics; Frank Dooley, Purdue senior vice provost for teaching and learning; Jerry Dervin, chief financial officer of Kaplan Higher and Professional Education; and Gregory Marino, CEO of Kaplan Higher and Professional Education.

Betty Vandenbosch, NewU chancellor-elect, also spoke to the board. Vandenbosch is currently Kaplan University president and, since joining Kaplan in 2008, served in several leadership positions, including most recently as provost. She was previously associate dean of executive education and external relations in the Weatherhead School of Management at Case Western Reserve University.

“I’m thrilled to be part of this journey with Purdue University and our trustees,” Vandenbosch said. “In our conversations, I have found that we are all, at the most basic level, dedicated to the same principles: we are educators, we understand the transformative power of what we do and we are dedicated to changing lives by providing access to a career-relevant, quality education. It is an honor to be affiliated with Purdue, and I am confident that Kaplan’s experience in online and on-ground education will provide significant new opportunities for Purdue as well.”

Daniels reported to board members on a June 8 public meeting with the Indiana Commission for Higher Education (ICHE) during which university officials laid out its NewU plan and answered questions from commission members. ICHE is slated to vote on Purdue’s proposal at its August meeting.

“We wanted to be able to answer any outstanding questions while still being clear that we see this as a tremendous opportunity for the state and Purdue to better fulfill our obligation – particularly in Indiana – to offer access to education to those who want and deserve a path to improve their lives.”

Trustees also heard an overview from Dooley on stakeholder feedback related to Purdue’s acquisition plan. That feedback was provided in campus sessions as well as from a survey that concluded earlier this week.

In other action, the NewU board:

* Approved a resolution authorizing the establishment of a bank account to support basic planning activities pending receipt of regulatory approvals and closing of the acquisition.

* Established a schedule for the board’s future regular meetings. Those meetings will be Aug. 4, Dec. 8, Feb. 9, April 6 and June 15.

The NewU Board of Trustees is a six-member panel charged with overseeing the operations and management Purdue’s online venture. It is composed of five Purdue University trustees and one Kaplan University representative.

Board members are:

* Mike Berghoff, chair, Purdue Board of Trustees

* Paul Bott, vice chair, Kaplan University Board of Trustees; professor emeritus, California State University, Long Beach

* JoAnn Brouillette, Purdue Board of Trustees

* Malcolm DeKryger, Purdue Board of Trustees

* Mike Klipsch, Purdue Board of Trustees

* Don Thompson, Purdue Board of Trustees

In April Purdue University announced the creation of a new public university with its plan to purchase Kaplan University and its institutional operations and assets, including its 15 campuses and learning centers. The new university, which has not yet officially been named, will be distinct from others in the Purdue system, relying only on tuition and fundraising to cover operating expenses, and no state appropriations will be utilized.

NewU would formally begin operations upon approval from ICHE, U.S. Department of Education and the Higher Learning Commission (HLC). Both Purdue and Kaplan universities are accredited by the HLC.