What happened: PASSHE ended a seven-year tuition freeze with a  $139 per semester increase for in-state students- a hike of $278 per year. Out-of-state students will pay $696 more annually.

Why it matters: Students have been told for years that rising fees weren’t anything to fear because tuition was frozen. Now, that argument is gone. The cost of education is rising all around.

For the first time in seven years, the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE) will raise tuition for its universities—including Commonwealth University-Bloomsburg—ending a long-standing freeze that kept costs stable for students.

The PASSHE Board of Governors voted to increase in-state undergraduate tuition by $139 per semester, or $278 per year, bringing the total annual tuition to $7,994. Out-of-state students will see an even sharper increase of $348 per semester, or $696 per year.

This move comes as students have already faced a series of fee hikes. In March, Bloomsburg raised its technology fee to $120 per term for in-state students and $182 for out-of-state students, marking a trend of rising costs despite the tuition freeze.

University officials have repeatedly defended previous fee increases by pointing to the frozen tuition rate. With that freeze lifted, the overall cost of a state education is now climbing at a time when students and families are already grappling with inflation and higher living expenses.

PASSHE said the decision could be reversed if the state legislature provides additional funding.