MANSFIELD, PA—In October, the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE) Board of Governors (BOG) approved Mansfield 
University’s plan to freeze its per-credit tuition rate.
The Freeze Individualized Tuition or FIT program freezes the per-credit tuition rate, plus one percent, and is set for the students first term at Mansfield University. Mansfield is freezing that rate for eight semesters over a five-year period or until the first degree is conferred.
For the students entering this fall, MU will freeze the per-credit tuition rate at 101% the PASSHE rate set this July by the BOG. However, for current students with less than 90 credits, MU will freeze tuition at 101% of the rate currently in place and this will be stable for eight semesters or until they earn their first degree. This summer’s increase in tuition will not affect the current students.
FIT replaces the current hybrid model in which students enrolled in 12–18 credits are charged a flat rate, and students who are not full-time or take more than 18 credits are charged on a per-credit basis.
“The FIT initiative is our response to the growing gap between diminishing state appropriated support and increasing operational expense,” MU President Fran Hendricks said. “FIT helps to close that gap and part of our commitment to provide access and affordability to all students. FIT also provides more than one million dollars in scholarship aid for Pennsylvania residents who have high or very high need. Increasing costs and concerns about student debt are major issues facing higher education and we believe this program helps to address those issues and give our students and their parents some cost assurance. We appreciate the support of the PASSHE Board of Governors in our request to freeze tuition.”
FIT will be in place as a pilot program until 2019. At that time, MU will evaluate its effectiveness and viability to continue. Graduate courses as well as summer and winter courses are not included in the program.
For more information on FIT, go to mansfield.edu/fit