One of the greatest parts of the United States is the fact that everyone is entitled to a free quality education. But as we age as a country, continuing that education past what the country provides for free is becoming more and more necessary for later success. Education is free through the twelfth grade, but getting a college degree is now considered a necessary accomplishment for many jobs.
The fact that we’re becoming more educated is a good thing, but the problem is that not everyone can afford to attend college—especially with constantly rising tuition costs. That’s why Purdue’s tuition freeze is garnering rave reviews from students and parents alike.
Purdue University is freezing tuition and cutting student fees.
Image: Shih-Pei Chang via Flickr
Mitch Daniels, who is the newest president of the university, is spearheading the effort to make school more affordable for students. The tuition freeze will last for two years. Daniels is also looking to cut meal plan prices by about five percent; in a board meeting earlier this month, he pointed out that Purdue’s fees are fairly high in comparison to other similar schools. The school also cut more than $500 off of their cooperative program fee (previously more than $900).
“It’s all a part of the affordability equation,” he said. “We were charging several hundred dollars more than other similar programs elsewhere. We want to encourage students to have this work experience.”
“I think money is the biggest stressor when you’re picking a school, especially for parents, more for parents probably than the actual kid,” said Kara Collier, who is a student at Purdue. “So I think when parents see that… the University is making an effort to make things cheaper, that’s a bonus.”
Board of Trustees Chairman Keith Krach says, “The feedback has just been tremendous in what that means for the families of our students and the freeze in tuition.” President Daniels and the Board have been hard at work to come up with a balanced budget for this year and next year—one that is good for both Purdue and its students. So far, things are looking quite good.
