Pennsylvania College of Technology. PHOTO PROVIDED
In-state residents attending Pennsylvania College of Technology will see a slight rise in tuition of about $15 per credit after the college’s board of directors approved the 2025-26 budget including the increase.
The budget totaled $188.4 million, an increase of 0.3% over last year’s budget, with an operating budget of $134.3 million, an increase of 3.75%, the college said in a press release sent to media following the meeting.
“We are projecting an enrollment increase of about 125 students when we compare to the fall 2024 semester, and that’s in line with what we’ve been experiencing the last 20 years, which is really positive for the college,” Jon Nichols, vice president of finance and CFO, said at the meeting.
Tuition for in-state residents will increase by 2.91% to $530 per credit, reflecting a roughly $15 per credit increase, Nichols explained.
“We haven’t had a tuition rate increase in the last couple of years, and it does not include any rate increases on fees,” Nichols stressed.
In tandem with enrollment, Nichols noted that commodities, utilities, health care and programmatic supplies costs have also risen.
“We always strive to keep tuition and fees as low as possible, but when rising costs leave us with no other choice but to increase tuition, we work as hard as possible to lessen the financial impact for students in other ways,” college President Michael Reed said in the press release, while touting the school’s 97.7% graduate job placement rate.
Services such as residence life and dining service will see a 2% increase.
“That’s pretty consistent with what we’ve been doing the last few years, and that’s really to try to maintain and keep up with the cost of providing those services,” Nichols explained.
In line with the faculty agreement, salary expenses in the budget are subject to a 2.7% increase.
Based on Gov. Shapiro’s 2025-26 budget proposal, Penn College’s state appropriation is budgeted at $35.67 million. The projected appropriation accounts for 18.9% of the total budget and 26.5% of the operating budget, the press release noted.
The Governor’s budget calls for a 5%, or just under $2 million increase for the college over the previous year.
“Over 51% of our projected revenues for fiscal year 2026 are coming from tuition and fees this year with the composition of everything, it’s just shy of 19% from Commonwealth,” Nichols said.
As part of the budget, the board approved its annual contribution of $100,000 to the city.
“Our contribution to the city has been a good partnership. We propose that we continue to do it,” Nichols told the board.
The college also approved a $35,000 contribution to the Williamsport Area School District.
“We’ve been doing this for well over a decade, and we bring it to the board’s attention for their review and approval every year, and it’s a beneficial thing,” Nichols said.
The meeting was the last for outgoing Associate Vice-President for Public Relations & Marketing, Joseph Yoder.
“I just want to personally thank you for your unwavering commitment to the institution,” said college President Michael Reed.
“Being on call 24/7 to help work through so many ‘what if’ scenarios, and help continually to elevate our brand, congratulations on a heck of a career,” he said, he said before turning his attention to Yoder’s replacement, Katie Bell.
“He has been able to spend a couple of weeks mentoring with Joe and his team so she can hit the ground running,” Reed said.
“It’s been an honor and a privilege to serve the college for 25 years,” Yoder said.
“And I can say that, having worked with Katie the last few weeks, that public relations and marketing is in very good hands moving forward,” he said.
“It’s an exciting time and Penn College is really an integral part of some of the things are going on,” board chairman and state Senator Gene Yaw said, specifically highlighting the baseball field being constructed along the highway.
“That’s going to change the character of this area. We’re a participant in the construction of that site, and the projections are that it could bring in 250,000 visitors to this area a year,” he said.
Yaw also lauded the recently opened Wawa and the upcoming Chik-fil-A along Maynard Street, as well as the recently announced Bass Pro Shop, which will take up residence at The District at Lycoming Valley, the former site of the Lycoming Mall in Muncy.
“It’s going to be something where there’s going to be a great relationship with Penn College, and I’m looking forward to it,” he said.
“There’s only three of them approved right now in the state, and there’s only one in operation in Harrisburg and another planned for Pittsburgh, so this one could be the second one up and running,” Yaw said.
