UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Beginning in fall 2023, undergraduate students will incur additional tuition charges when their class schedule exceeds 19 credits per semester. The change comes after a task force explored the implications of adding a tuition surcharge when students exceed 19 credits in a semester. Data shows that approximately 1,760 undergraduates University-wide were enrolled in more than 19 credits during the fall 2022 semester. The recommendation aligns with peer institutions that have similar credit fee structures. The Board of Trustees approved the new tuition surcharge at its July 20-21 meeting at Penn State Behrend.  

“Penn State’s tuition, which allows students to take between 12 and 19 credits at the same semester rate, is designed to encourage students to take all necessary credits each semester to graduate in four years,” said Jeff Adams, interim vice provost and dean for Undergraduate Education. He noted that students routinely taking more than 19 credits are typically pursuing addition credentials such as second majors and additional minors or seeking to reduce their overall time at Penn State. “Charging an additional tuition beyond 19 credits, which is standard practice across higher education, balances our desire to focus on affordability with the fair distribution of costs,” Adams said. 

With this change, a full-time undergraduate student will still pay the regular tuition rate when enrolled in 12 to 19 credit hours per semester. The additional per-credit rate will apply to any credit hours beyond 19. For the 2023-24 academic year, the per-credit rate for a lower-division undergraduate will be $820 at University Park, $552 to $641 at the Commonwealth Campuses, and $626 at Penn State World Campus. The revenues generated from the surcharge will allow the University to make additional investments in the quality of its academic programs.

The new billing structure goes into effect for the fall 2023 semester. Students cannot register for courses in excess of 19 credits until the beginning of the semester, on Aug. 21, and are encouraged to meet with their academic adviser to review their plans prior to adding additional courses to their schedule. In addition, students are encouraged to meet with a financial aid adviser to review their aid packages and how their semester bill may change. Individual bills will vary, depending on the campus, type of course, and the number of courses added. The University's Tuition Calculator has been updated so students can anticipate actual charges, based on the courses they wish to add. 

Students who add additional courses at the beginning of the semester will be billed separately, as Penn State billing statements for fall 2023 will be issued at the beginning of August and will not include the additional credits. Tuition surcharges will appear on the September billing statement. A notification in LionPATH will alert students before they enroll in more than 19 credits.  

The change to the University’s course pricing structure applies only to undergraduate students. Graduate students should reference the Penn State Graduate School for information. The new pricing structure does not impact employee discounts, fee waivers and other discounts students may be qualified to receive, as these discounts remain in place. More information and answers to frequently asked questions can be found on the Office of the Bursar’s website.