Pitt State able to give students break

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Pittsburg State University announced Monday that most full-time students will get a break on tuition this fall, a PSU statement said.

The university plans to use about $375,000 of the federal stimulus funds it is receiving to reduce tuition by $50 per semester for students who qualify for in-state rates.

Earlier this year, the Kansas Board of Regents approved a 6.8 percent tuition increase for PSU as part of a package of cuts and revenue enhancements designed to help the university deal with a multi-million dollar reduction in state aid. By using the stimulus money to reduce the tuition increase from $116 to just $66 per semester, PSU effectively reduced the overall tuition hike from 6.8 percent to 4 percent, the PSU statement said.

"Pittsburg State University has always been sensitive to how the costs of higher education affects students and their families," PSU President Steve Scott said. "Education must be high quality, but it also must be accessible and affordable. Especially in these difficult economic times, we need to find creative ways to mitigate the financial burden on the very people who need education the most."

Scott said the university expects to receive more than $2.7 million in federal stimulus money, which flows to the state's universities through the Kansas Board of Regents. The regents have mandated that the bulk of the stimulus dollars must be used for deferred maintenance, but as much as $793,000, in PSU's case, may be used for "operations," the PSU statement said.

PSU will use its operations enhancements for things that directly affect students. In addition to tuition relief, PSU will spend about $167,000 on a federally-legislated student wage increase and more than $250,000 on academic instructional equipment, Scott said.

"Pittsburg State has a history of using its limited resources wisely and in ways that support our core mission of educating students," he said. "We are pleased that we have the flexibility to use some of these stimulus dollars in ways that help students financially and also help us protect the quality of our academic programs."

According to the plan, both full-time undergraduate and graduate students who qualify for in-state tuition will see a $50 reduction on their tuition statement when they enroll. Some exceptions include students whose package of scholarships and grants covers the full cost of their tuition, the PSU statement said.

For more information, students may contact the PSU Cashiers and Student Accounts Office at (620) 235-4092.