WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Purdue University officials on Tuesday (Sept. 8) announced a program to keep the institution one of the best values in the country.

Purdue plans to rebate $250 of the $500 student success fee to Indiana undergraduate students for the 2010-2011 academic year using federal stimulus funds. This is in addition to the previously announced (July 13) rebate of $500 for Hoosier undergraduates Purdue had already implemented for 09-10.

Purdue President France A. Córdova announced plans to rebate $250 of the $500 student success fee to Indiana undergraduate students for the 2010-2011 academic year using federal stimulus funds. This is in addition to the previously announced (July 13) rebate of $500 for Hoosier undergraduates Purdue had already implemented for the 2009-2010 school year. Also, in an effort to keep Purdue affordable, Córdova announced that all students qualifying for both federal and state financial aid will have their financial aid from Purdue boosted to offset the increase in tuition and fees for both the 2009-2010 and 2010-2011 academic years.

Purdue will spend $6 million to fund both years of the rebate and the increase in financial aid to students.

“This is one more step we are able to take to ensure that a Purdue degree remains accessible and affordable,” Córdova said. “While the recent rankings placed Purdue as one of the top institutions in the country, our tuition and fees currently rank eighth among our public Big Ten peers. Purdue continues to be an exceptional value for Indiana and the nation.”

University officials considered a variety of plans to help offset tuition costs, listening carefully to faculty who wanted to make sure that university resources remained dedicated to the overall mission of access and student success.

State Budget Committee chairman Sen. Luke Kenley said the announcement was a benefit for Hoosier families, especially in light of Purdue’s prior efforts.

“We’re glad to see that Purdue is working on keeping college tuition affordable for Indiana families,” Kenley said. “Adding this effort to what they’ve already done will help more Indiana students through these rough economic times.”

Measures Purdue already has undertaken included using federal stimulus funds to rebate the $500 student success fee for new-to-campus resident undergraduates; aggressively raising money for new scholarships like the Marquis, the only university-provided scholarship in Indiana designed specifically to help good students from middle-class families; and freezing salaries and cutting $9.8 million from the university’s annual budget.

The student success fee of $500 only applies to students who were new to campus starting after spring semester 2009 since the money would be used to create programs to help develop courses and support programs to improve learning and student achievement. Córdova said using stimulus funds to offset the rebates means the university would be able to fund the student success programs over the next two years.

Two recent examples include Ideas to Innovations, a new way to teach freshman engineering students that already has increased attendance and student performance, and Signals, a $600,000 computer program that helps students monitor their class work and warns them if they need to attend help sessions or step up their homework.

Purdue has raised more than $100 million towards Córdova’s $304 million Access and Success campaign, now in its second year. Total financial aid and student support at Purdue for 2009-10 is estimated at $510 million – the most ever – and three out of four Purdue students receive some type of financial assistance.

Purdue is consistently labeled a great value for education. The university was recently ranked 22nd nationally among public research universities – a jump of four places from last year’s ranking – yet its tuition remains among the lowest of the top universities. In January 2009, Purdue was ranked ninth in SmartMoney magazine’s college “payback” survey, which quantified the long-term value of a college education.

“We are committed to maintaining Purdue’s great value for our students, while focusing on academic quality and institutional excellence,” said Keith Krach, chairman of the Purdue Board of Trustees.

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — The Executive Committee of the Purdue University board of trustees on Monday (July 13) approved tuition and fee rates for the next two academic years and a conceptual general fund operating budget for the current fiscal year.

Board chairman Keith Krach, vice chair Mamon Powers Jr. and trustees JoAnn Brouillette and Michael Birck voted unanimously to approve after listening to 10 students, graduate students and parents speak at a public hearing.

At the West Lafayette campus, resident students will pay an additional $388, and nonresident students’ tuition will increase by $1,394. This translates into an increase of 5 percent for resident and 6 percent for nonresident continuing students each of the next two academic years.

When comparing state support versus tuition, Indiana's share of the academic mission was 50% in FY1993. Today that share is 31%. Purdue receives 20% less in state appropriations per full-time equiv. student than its peers and other Big Ten public institutions.

There also will be a new $500 fee per academic year for new West Lafayette campus students tied to strategic plan improvements for academic programs. However, first-time Indiana undergraduate students will have this $500 fee rebated this year, using stimulus funding provided to Purdue by the General Assembly. Students enrolled prior to the summer of 2009 will not be assessed the fee. Funds generated by the proposed strategic plan fee will be used to invest in academic curricula, financial aid, student success programs, and assist in attracting and retaining top faculty.

The approved conceptual general fund budget – $1.1 billion system-wide for the current fiscal year – was drafted after the state approved its biennial spending plan.

“It was a hard decision, but a lot of thought went into it,” Krach said. “We had to balance three major factors: preserving the quality of a Purdue education, staying competitive with our peer institutions given our tuition is among the lowest in the Big Ten, and making sure the organization was run responsibly and keeping costs low.”

Purdue President France A. Córdova said, “As the students said at the hearing, the value of a Purdue degree can’t be matched, and we want to make it affordable for families, too. We are awarding more scholarships and financial aid than ever before. This year we launched a new scholarship directed at middle-class families and I commit to raising more money to help students afford a Purdue education.”

Although Purdue was given an apparently flat budget in the state appropriations process, 8 percent was made up of the one-time stimulus funding. Purdue actually received a cut of 8 percent in its recurring funding for operations, or $21 million over two years at the West Lafayette campus, said James S. Almond, Purdue’s senior vice president for business services and assistant treasurer.

Almond said stimulus dollars from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act would not be used to fund recurring expenses. Instead, those funds would be dedicated to one-time expenditures, such as repair and rehabilitation costs and to credit the first-year cost of the $500 fee for newly enrolled undergraduates back to in-state resident students. Purdue also will use the stimulus funds to help with $400 million in facility repair and rehabilitation needs.

Under the new tuition and fee structure, which includes the one-year $500 credit for first-time students, resident students will pay $8,138 in the 2009-10 academic year. Tuition and fees for 2010-11 would be $8,544 for returning residents and $9,070 for returning sophomores and first-time resident students.

Nonresident students returning to the West Lafayette campus would pay $1,394 more, and nonresident first-time students would pay $1,894 more for the 2009-10 academic year. Tuition and fees in 2009-10 would be $24,618 for returning nonresident students and $25,118 for nonresident first-time students. Tuition and fees for 2010-11 would be $26,096 for returning nonresidents and $26,622 for nonresident first-time students.

Some programs, such as engineering, management, pharmacy and veterinary medicine, also have fee differentials, which are dedicated to defraying the higher costs of these programs. New this year is a $500 differential fee for College of Technology students who start this fall on the West Lafayette campus.

For 2008-09, total financial aid and student support on the West Lafayette campus was budgeted at $467 million, and three out of four Purdue students receive some form of assistance. In 2008-09, for a student with a family income below $40,000, the net cost for tuition, room and board was an average of $1,666 after all forms of aid were counted. Students who qualify for federal financial aid will have their tuition and fees offset with additional Purdue aid.

Purdue’s undergraduate resident fees this year rank ninth among all Big Ten institutions, and nonresident tuition and fees rank seventh.

Fees for Indiana students at other Purdue campuses are assessed on a per credit hour basis. Rates for resident and nonresident students, which represent a 5 percent and 6 percent increase, respectively, are:

• Purdue Calumet – $210 and $471
• Purdue North Central – $213 and $502
• Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne – $231 and $549

System-wide general fund budgets were established with recurring funds only and exclude any federal stimulus dollars. In approving Purdue’s general fund budget, which supports educational and base operating expenditures, the Executive Committee endorsed the following spending plans for fiscal year 2009-2010:

• At the West Lafayette campus: A 4.5 percent increase to $873.3 million.
• At Purdue Calumet: A 3.1 percent increase to $78.2 million.
• At Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne: A 5.2 percent increase to $100.5 million.
• At Purdue North Central: A 4 percent increase to $28.2 million.

Almond said aggressive cost-cutting measures led to a budget that will allow the university to provide competitive financial aid packages to students and continue to fund strategic plan initiatives while, at the same time, offsetting increased operational costs.

For example, staff benefits and unavoidable costs, such as fuel, utilities, insurance, plant expansion, and repair and rehabilitation, are expected to increase a total of $15.7 million on the West Lafayette campus in the upcoming fiscal year.

At West Lafayette, the budget calls for a 5.3 percent decrease in recurring operating appropriations from the 2008-2009 fiscal year budget and supply and expense budgets have been flatlined. The university also has previously announced that there would be no annual merit salary adjustments for all employees, however, funds will be allocated to cover both the employee and university share of significant increases in health-care costs.

The general fund, which supports the academic mission of the university, represents only a portion of the university’s total system-wide operating budget. The full operating budget totals more than $1.96 billion for fiscal year 2008-2009 and includes the general fund; sponsored programs; gifts; and revenue from residence halls, athletics, other auxiliary income and university-funded financial aid.

The total operating budget fiscal year 2009-2010 is not yet established and will be presented at a future trustees’ meeting.

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — The Finance Committee of the Purdue University board of trustees on Thursday (July 9) reviewed a conceptual general fund operating budget for the next year. The proposal now moves to the board’s Executive Committee, which will take a final vote on the plan following a public hearing on Monday (July 13).

“Our budget proposal reflects a dual commitment to freeze or cut costs where possible while, at the same time, targeting our resources to areas that will enhance Purdue’s educational mission and the overall student experience,” said university President France A. Córdova.

The conceptual general fund budget – $1.1 billion system-wide for the coming academic year – was drafted after the state approved its biennial spending plan.

The proposal calls for a $388 increase for resident students and a $1,394 increase for nonresident students. This translates into a 5 percent resident tuition increase and a 6 percent nonresident tuition increase for continuing students each of the next two academic years at the West Lafayette campus.

Although Purdue was given an apparently flat budget in the state appropriations process, 8 percent was one-time “stimulus” funding. Purdue actually received a cut of 8 percent in its recurring funding for operations, or $21 million over two years at the West Lafayette campus, said James S. Almond, Purdue’s vice president for business services and assistant treasurer.

Almond said stimulus dollars from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act would not be used to fund recurring expenses. Instead, those funds would be dedicated to one-time expenditures, such as repair and rehabilitation costs and to rebate the first-year cost of a fee for newly enrolled undergraduates back to in-state resident students.

“The Legislature has continued to be very supportive of higher education,” Córdova said. “At the same time, universities are faced with a variety of underfunded needs. All of our budget decisions were driven by a desire to leverage that state support with other funds in a way that continues to strengthen the university. Now is not the time to lose ground we have fought so hard to gain.”

System-wide general fund budgets were established with recurring funds only and exclude any federal stimulus dollars. In approving Purdue’s general fund budget, which supports educational and base operating expenditures, the trustees endorsed the following spending plans for fiscal year 2010:

• At the West Lafayette campus: A 4.5 percent increase to $873.3 million.
• At Purdue Calumet: A 3.1 percent increase to $78.2 million.
• At Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne: A 5.2 percent increase to $100.5 million.
• At Purdue North Central: A 4 percent increase to $28.2 million.

Almond said the spending plans will allow the university to continue funding initiatives outlined in the campuses’ strategic plans while also providing the funding needed to offset increased operational costs. For example, staff benefits and unavoidable costs, such as fuel, utilities, insurance, plant expansion, and repair and rehabilitation, are expected to increase a total of $15.7 million on the West Lafayette campus in the upcoming fiscal year.

At West Lafayette, the proposed budget plan calls for a 5.3 percent decrease in recurring operating appropriations from the 2009 fiscal year budget and supply and expense budgets have been flatlined. The university also has previously announced that there would be no annual merit salary adjustments for all employees, however, funds will be allocated to cover both the employee and university share of significant increases in health-care costs, Córdova said.

“Despite the challenges we face, Purdue continues to offer a world-class education at a cost that compares favorably to our peers and Big Ten public institutions,” she said.

Purdue’s undergraduate resident fees this year rank ninth among all Big Ten institutions, and nonresident tuition and fees rank seventh. Among eight peer institutions across the country, Purdue fees rank sixth for both residents and nonresidents.

The general fund, which supports the academic mission of the university, represents only a portion of the university’s total system-wide operating budget. The full operating budget totals more than $1.96 billion for fiscal year 2009 and includes the general fund; sponsored programs; gifts; and revenue from residence halls, athletics, other auxiliary income and university-funded financial aid.

The total operating budget fiscal year 2010 is not yet established and will be presented at a future trustees’ meeting.

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Military veterans, reserve and active duty military students attending Purdue University’s West Lafayette campus and the Technology Statewide sites can use the Yellow Ribbon Program to help pay for their education.

The Yellow Ribbon Program, an enhancement of the Post 9/11 GI Bill, lowers tuition costs that would not be fully covered by the GI Bill.

The Yellow Ribbon Program, which is an enhancement of the Post 9/11 GI Bill, will be available Aug. 1. The program lowers tuition costs that would not be fully covered by the GI Bill. Assistance will be awarded to the first 50 Purdue undergraduate, graduate or professional students who qualify. Purdue will contribute $2,000 per academic year, and the Department of Veterans Affairs will match that amount.

“Our military students have devoted their time and lives to our country, and this is a great opportunity for universities to invest in these brave men and women,” Purdue President France A. Córdova said. “Purdue will support our veterans and help them obtain their degrees with funds these students do not need to repay.”

The program affects those covered by the Post 9/11 GI Bill. Awards to qualified applicants are on a first-come basis established by the date and time an application is received. Applicants must provide a Certificate of Eligibility from the Department of Veteran Affairs. Applicants also must be in good academic standing and be enrolled at least as a part-time student. Other requirements include eligibility for Chapter 33 Post 9/11 GI Bill education benefits at the 100 percent level and admittance as a degree-seeking student with tuition and fee charges above the Veteran Affairs’ maximum in-state undergraduate rate as posted at http://www.gibill.va.gov

For more information, contact the Office of the Registrar at 765-494-7638, regvets@purdue.edu

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Purdue University officials will conduct a public hearing July 13 on proposed tuition and fees to be paid by students attending any of the university’s campuses during the 2009-2010 and 2010-2011 academic years.

The proposal calls for a $388 increase for resident students and a $1,394 increase for nonresident students. This translates into a 5 percent resident tuition increase and a 6 percent nonresident tuition increase for continuing students each of the next two academic years at the West Lafayette campus.

Although Purdue was given an apparently flat budget in the state appropriations process, 8 percent was one-time “stimulus” funding. Purdue actually received a cut of 8 percent in its recurring funding for operations, or $21 million over two years at the West Lafayette campus.

“The state has worked hard to give us the best budget possible, and we’ve made significant budget reductions at Purdue over the past year. Nevertheless, we still have critical university needs that are substantially underfunded,” Purdue President France A. Córdova said. “Our proposal addresses these critical needs, protects students who come from the neediest families and preserves the high educational quality at Purdue.”

There also will be a new $500 fee per academic year for new West Lafayette campus students tied to strategic plan improvements for academic programs. However, first-time Indiana undergraduate students will have this $500 fee rebated this year, using the stimulus funding provided to Purdue by the General Assembly. Students enrolled prior to the summer of 2009 will not be assessed the fee. Funds generated by the proposed strategic plan fee will be used to invest in academic curricula, financial aid, student success programs, and assist in attracting and retaining top faculty.

Purdue also will use the stimulus funds to help with $400 million in facility repair and rehabilitation needs.

Randy Woodson, executive vice president for academic affairs and provost, said most of the tuition increase will go to student aid and faculty support.

“The faculty make Purdue a world-class institution and attract students who aspire to a truly competitive education. We will invest in programs that help ensure our students are successful and improve retention and graduation rates. We also will enhance our investments in financial aid to keep Purdue affordable for all students,” Woodson said.

The new tuition and fee structure, with the one-year credit for first-time students, would result in a $388 increase in the 2009-10 year for all resident students on the West Lafayette campus. Tuition and fees in 2009-10 would be $8,138 for resident students. Tuition and fees for 2010-11 would be $8,544 for returning residents and $9,070 for returning sophomores and first-time resident students.

Nonresident students returning to the West Lafayette campus would pay $1,394 more, and nonresident first-time students would pay $1,894 more for the 2009-10 academic year. Tuition and fees in 2009-10 would be $24,618 for returning nonresident students and $25,118 for nonresident first-time students. Tuition and fees for 2010-11 would be $26,096 for returning nonresidents and $26,622 for nonresident first-time students.

Some programs, such as engineering, management, pharmacy and veterinary medicine, have fee differentials, which are additional fees to defray the higher costs of these programs. Fee increases are proposed for these programs as well. New this year is a $500 differential fee for College of Technology students who start this fall on the West Lafayette campus.

Purdue currently ranks ninth in the Big Ten for resident undergraduate tuition and has been listed as one of the nation’s best value educations by The Wall Street Journal’s SmartMoney magazine.

“Comparing alumni salaries within five and 10 years after graduation against their tuition cost, the magazine listed Purdue as ninth in the country. The payback to graduates was 197 percent,” said James Almond, vice president for business services and assistant treasurer.

The university also has been aggressive in raising financial aid and cutting costs.

“On the West Lafayette campus, we’ve cut almost $10 million from departments and schools and eliminated 146 positions for the next fiscal year,” Almond said. “We also managed our debt and were able to save the state $8.5 million over the last two years.”

For 2008-09, total financial aid and student support on the West Lafayette campus was budgeted at $467 million, and three out of four Purdue students receive some form of assistance. In 2008-09, for a student with a family income below $40,000, the net cost for tuition, room and board was an average of $1,666 after all forms of aid were counted. Students who qualify for federal financial aid will have their tuition and fees offset with additional Purdue aid.

More information on tuition and fees can be found online at http://news.uns.purdue.edu/tuition/

Fees for Indiana students at other Purdue campuses are assessed on a per credit hour basis. Rates for resident and nonresident students, respectively, are:

• Purdue Calumet – $210 and $471
• Purdue North Central – $213 and $502
• Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne – $231 and $549

These rates represent a 5 percent increase for resident students and a 6 percent increase for nonresident students.

The public hearing will begin at 9 a.m. July 13 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 2009-10 system-wide conceptual budget plan during the meeting.

A videoconference connection also will permit 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. 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 the chancellor’s office at that campus for directions to the videoconference location. Those locations and phone numbers are:

• Purdue Calumet: Purdue Calumet Conference Center (Room 135); 219-989-2673
• Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne: Kettler Hall (Room 178); 260-481-6103
• Purdue North Central: Technology Building (Room 134); 219-785-5511

This special meeting is in addition to the board’s regularly scheduled meeting on July 9 and 10.