County institutions of higher learning scored a win last week when the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education’s (PASSHE) Board of Governors made a policy change to allow individual schools to develop their own tuition plans. However, the board would still retain final approval authority.

The cost of tuition has long been a source of angst for students and families — and the price tag for the average cost of attending a Pennsylvania college or university is slightly higher than the national average. According to College Board, the cost of attending college — including tuition and fees, books and supplies and room and board — at the undergraduate level in the United States for the 2017-2018 school year was $34,740 at private colleges and $25,620 for out-of-state students at public universities. The average tuition for state residents at public colleges was $9,970.

In Pennsylvania, the average tuition for undergraduate students in 2019 for in-state colleges is $11,416, but the cost rises to $28,150 when you include supplies and room and board. The total cost for out-of-state students is $35,523.

A 2017 study by the Institute for Higher Education Policy found that low-income students could not afford 95 percent of the nation’s colleges or universities, and that only slightly more than one-third of middle-income students could afford them.

In other words, paying for a student to go to college can be a financial strain and a cause of stress for many families. But the Board of Governors’ policy change will enable state schools to set costs based on the local pricing landscape. “(It) allows us to tailor our prices to our region,” said Slippery Rock University President Bill Behre. “To price properly, you really need to understand not only the financial state of the students who are here, but also those who got accepted and chose not to come.”

As a result of the policy change, SRU and other PASSHE universities will be able to announce their cost of tuition in April, rather than July, giving students a few more months’ notice about increases. This could be helpful to students by allowing them more time to consider their financial options for higher education.

So, while it’s still on county schools to try to set prices that students can afford, the PASSHE Board of Governors’ policy change could pave the way for them to do so. Getting a college degree has become increasingly important to compete in today’s job market, and students who are able to get one often have a leg up when joining the workforce.

We are pleased to see that county colleges will now be able to make obtaining an education more affordable for students who want one.