Temple board approves 2.8% tuition increase

Temple University's board of trustees on Tuesday approved a 2.8 percent increase in tuition for the coming year, meaning in-state students will pay $14,398 in 2015-16, up by $392 from the last academic year.

Fees for all full-time students will rise by $100, to $790, to accommodate increased costs in activities and technology, said Ken Kaiser, Temple's chief financial officer and treasurer.

Students will pay $15,188 in 2015-16 for tuition and fees, up $492 (3.3 percent) from the last academic year.

Out-of-state students will pay $25,494 for tuition and fees, up $772 (3.1 percent).

Room and board ranges from $10,296 to $13,596, meaning total costs will top $25,000 for in-state students and $35,000 for out-of-state students. Contractual obligations for salary and benefit increases are driving the tuition increase in the university's $1.34 billion budget, Temple officials said.

Temple, like other state-owned and state-related universities, typically waits for the state budget to pass before setting tuition. But with no new budget in sight, the board took action at its regularly scheduled meeting.

Temple's budget counts on a 5.4 percent increase in state funding - less than Gov. Wolf has proposed and more than Republican legislators have floated, Kaiser said.

Kaiser said Temple was prepared to deal with receiving less from the state than budgeted, but said officials remained hopeful that the state would come through.

"Temple would use the increased funding to strengthen academic programs and services, increase financial aid, and help keep future tuition increases as low as possible," spokesman Brandon Lausch said.

Wolf has also asked for increased funding for the other state-related universities, including Pennsylvania State, but has asked the colleges to keep tuition increases low. Penn State's board of trustees is scheduled to vote on tuition and fees this week.

Wolf also asked the 14 state system schools, including West Chester and Cheyney Universities, to freeze tuition. Last week, however, the system approved a 3.5 percent tuition increase, which raises the cost for full-time in-state students by $240, to $7,060.