No tuition increases in Pitt’s budgets

University of Pittsburgh students returning this fall won’t face tuition or housing hikes for the new academic year.

The university’s board of trustees approved capital and operating budgets on Wednesday that will keep tuition rates flat at all five Pitt campuses. The $2.4 billion operating budget won’t increase room and board fees for 2020-21 either.

The approval brings a permanent 3.7% budget cut and one-time reductions of 5% on average across the university to help offset decreased revenue because of the pandemic. To cut costs, the university won’t increase pay for faculty or staff. It will control hiring, limit discretionary spending on nonessential travel and equipment, and reduce personnel costs with incentivized voluntary retirement programs.

The operating budget will still contain a $878 million research base, and will maintain funding for the Pitt Success Program, which matches Pell Grants for eligible students.

“The University of Pittsburgh’s new budgets reflect optimism — that our mission is more critical than ever — while also acknowledging the unprecedented levels of uncertainty and flexibility that define life during a pandemic,” said Chancellor Patrick Gallagher in a news release.

Pitt’s capital budget for fiscal year 2021 sits at about $140 million, 78% lower than last year, to prioritize “essential renovation and preservation projects, as well as the health and safety of Pitt students, faculty and staff,” the news release said.