"The quality of education students receive at Pennsylvania College of Technology is second to none," Penn College President Dr. Davie Jane Gilmour said as the schools board of trustees approved a $139.79 million budget for the upcoming school year last week.
We couldn't agree more.
But the school's affordability also is important, so the 5.54 percent hike in tuition approved with the budget raises eyebrows.
The increase takes tuition for two 15-credit semesters above $14,000.
While that is still a bargain, given the school's acknowledged excellent educational product and employment placement reputation, increases double the rate of inflation aren't perpetually tolerable.
In fairness, the college faces increased retirement and health insurance costs and its state funding is static at best. And the school has eliminated 91.5 full-time and 32 part-time positions in the past two years.
We just hope tuition hikes that are so far above the cost-of-living increases aren't an annual routine.
We've held out that hope for years.
