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The current tuition model, in which undergraduate students pay a flat amount to take anywhere from 12-18 credits and graduate students pay a flat amount to take anywhere between 9-16 credits, has created an unfair situation for the majority of PSU students. Approximately 60% of undergraduate students and 73% of graduate students carry a credit load of 12 and 9 credits or less respectively. This means that the majority of students are paying more for less, while the minority of students are paying less for more.

In addition, over 20% of PSU students who take credits within the tuition plateau later drop these classes without penalty. This behavior precludes others who may need these classes from enrolling, creating lost opportunities for students and lost revenue and increased expenses for Portland State.

Finally, Portland State University has many partnership agreements with other public and private postsecondary educational institutions. Many of these agreements require that students be co-enrolled in multiple institutions simultaneously and in these instances the tuition plateau becomes a real obstacle for the assessment of fees and the sharing of revenues with partner institutions. Using a system that involves the assessment of incremental tuition for every credit hour taken will resolve this issue.

As has been discussed at meetings of ASPSU and the State Board of Higher Education and reported by various media outlets including The Oregonian and The Vanguard, the administration of Portland State University is eliminating the tuition plateau. Because of the conversations that have occurred, the administration has agreed to phase out the plateau over winter and spring quarter in an effort to help students prepare for the changes.

Will Shrinking the Tuition Plateau beginning Winter Term 2004 Mean That I Get More Financial Aid?

The short answer is "maybe." When costs increase in the middle of an award year, students may ask the Office of Admissions, Records and Financial Aid to reassess their eligibility for financial aid based upon the higher costs. If students have remaining loan eligibility, the Office of Admissions, Records and Financial Aid will add additional loan funds as each student's case permits. Students may fill out a 2003-2004 Revision Request Form to request an assessment of remaining or additional loan eligibility. If students have already borrowed yearly class level loan limits, the Office of Admissions, Records and Financial Aid will be unable to increase your subsidized or unsubsidized Stafford loans. Students may be able to borrow additional loan funds through one of the non-federal alternative loan programs.

Class Level Loan Limits

Will the Elimination of the Tuition Plateau beginning Fall Term 2004 Mean that I Get More Financial Aid?

Beginning with the 2004-2005 award year, the Office of Admissions, Records and Financial Aid will establish the tuition and fees component of the Cost of Education based upon an average full time enrollment at the undergraduate, post baccalaureate and graduate level.

In practice, this is pretty simple. The office will look at average enrollments for full time undergraduates and graduate students. If the average full time enrollment at the undergraduate level is 13.5 credit hours per term, then the Office of Admissions, Records and Financial Aid will use that average enrollment to establish initial full time costs for all undergraduate students. A student's financial aid package will be based upon our initial costs of education.

Students who plan to enroll in more credit hours than our full time average may use a 2004-2005 Revision Request Form to have the staff assess eligibility for additional loan funds. If students have remaining loan eligibility, the Office of Admissions, Records and Financial Aid will add additional loan funds as each student's case permits.

In addition, the Office of Admissions, Records and Financial Aid will establish average part time enrollment costs at the undergraduate, post baccalaureate and graduate level. Undergraduate/post baccalaureate part time costs will be determined for half time and three quarter time. Graduate part time costs will be determined for half time.

The Office of Financial Aid will be holding a series of open forums regarding the phasing out of the plateau and its impact on students.

Forum Schedule

• 12-02-2003, Tuesday, 12pm-1pm
• 12-03-2003, Wednesday, 12pm-1pm
• 01-07-2003, Wednesday, 12pm-1pm
• 01-08-2003, Thursday, 12pm-1pm

The Breakdown: What the Tuition Plateau Means for Students