Board votes to increase tuition by 9 percent

PSU Student Union rallies against increase

The Portland State Board of Trustees voted to increase tuition by 9 percent for the 2017–18 academic year at its meeting earlier today.

Ken Ma, PSU’s director of media relations released the following statement just after 10 a.m.

PSU’s Board of Trustees voted today to increase tuition by $693 for resident full-time undergraduate students for the 2017–2018 academic year. That would bring annual tuition to $9,030, a 9 percent increase over this year’s tuition.”

The PSU Student Union planned a rally against the tuition increase starting the the PSU Park Blocks at 10 a.m. this morning.

Ma’s statement continued, “The state Higher Education Coordinating Commission is scheduled on May 11 to review tuition increases proposed by universities that exceed 5 percent. HECC must approve PSU’s tuition hike for it to be effective. The PSU Board of Trustees will finalize PSU’s 2017–18 budget with a vote on June 22 prior to the July 1 start of the fiscal year. It is not yet known when the Legislature will vote on a biennial state budget, which typically occurs at the end of the session in June or early July.”

Check back for further coverage of the Board’s decision and the PSU community response.