The Commonwealth University Trustees decided to increase the cost of fees and campus living costs will go up starting in the 2026-2027 academic year.
Overall, there will be a $2,500 fee increase throughout the next two years. Housing and dining rates will also increase over the next five years.
The increase in fees and rates will make students pay more and in return, students have mixed feelings on how they will be able to afford school and how this will benefit them.
The student reaction
“I think the increase is unreasonable,” says Zach Ridall, a sophomore CU student.
Ridall explains how for his first two years at CU, he’s been able to cover costs out of his own pocket that financial aid doesn’t.
“With the price increase, I’m going to need to pick up more hours at work outside of school, which will leave me with less time to study…” Ridall says, “I’m hopeful that I will make it through, but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t worried.”
Junior CU student, Meg Shively, is on track to graduate next Spring semester, so she isn’t too worried about how the fees will affect her.
“But if I were an upcoming freshman, that amount of price increase would make me reconsider other schooling options,” says Shively.
The background of the fees and rates increase
On March 6th at the Council of Trustees meeting, the trustees decided that fees, as well as campus dining and housing costs will increase.
Interim President Osgood explained to The Voice that there’s two sides of a University’s financial house; the education in general and the auxiliary. Education in general is where your tuition goes, auxiliary is where the fees go.
“These fees that have increased, they go to support dining, residence halls, the rec center and other auxiliary funded operations,” says Osgood.
He goes on to say that PASSHE went seven years without raising the cost of tuition, and that the university trustees didn’t raise fees from being very committed to keeping higher education affordable at the time. However, the cost of business went up.
“What that left us with was a negative operating budget on the auxiliary side…” Osgood says, “the trustees needed to increase the fees to get that to zero.”
According to an article written by The Voice in March 2025, fees and rates began rising during the 2024-2025 academic year. For the current academic year, 2025-2026, housing and dining rates were raised 5%, and the technology fee went from $120 to $182.
Housing rates will be going up approximately 6% throughout the next five years, starting in the 2026-2027 fiscal year. Dining rates will be going up 8% from the 2026-2027 fiscal year to 2027-2028, the following 3 years will increase by 5%.
The following fees will increase:
- Academic Enhancement Fee
- Technology Fee
- Student Union Operation Fee
- Recreation Fee
- Transportation Fee
- Success Fee
- Health / Wellness Fee
“There is no part of this process that feels good when you have to increase fees, because it ultimately does impact students,” Osgood said.
Fees to improve services
Osgood mentions how the fees will also improve campus services. He uses the tech fee as an example.
“With the increase in other fees, the most immediate goal would be to actually improve the service delivery for our students,” says Osgood.
Both Shively and Ridall agree that campus services need to be updated and improved.
“Some services are definitely outdated, and I think our transportation could be improved… I hope that these fees will be given back to the students,” Shively said.
Ridall expressed concern that improvements won’t be immediate.
“I’d like to believe these funds are going towards programs for students… I have a lingering fear that I won’t be around at CU long enough to see these improvements,” Ridall says.
