There will be no increases in eight fees required of undergraduate students at ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø for the 2020–21 academic year, and no increase in costs for most room styles in university-owned residence halls.
At its quarterly meeting on December 12, IUP's Council of Trustees approved no increase for the technology fee, instructional fee, student services fee, student activity fee, wellness fee, registration fee, transportation fee, and I-Card production fee.
Trustees also approved no increase for a single room or deluxe double in Whitmyre Hall for both the 2020–21 academic year and 2021–22 academic years.
A 3 percent increase ($113) for a regular double room in Whitmyre Hall was approved for the 2020–21 academic year, with no cost increase for the 2021–22 academic year for this room style.
A $4.6-million, 26-month renovation project at Whitmyre Hall, home to the Cook Honors College, was completed for the fall 2019 semester. These renovations include renovation to the residential area (180 beds), a rebuilt entrance, a facelift for the living spaces on the second and third floors, and a comprehensive upgrade of the restrooms and shower rooms on those floors, six new seminar rooms, new individual student study rooms, and additional lounging areas.
Internal and external infrastructure renovations were also part of the renovation, including updating the mechanical systems and modifying the entrances to the building and selected residential rooms for accessibility.
A new residence hall room style in Whitmyre Hall, a large single, will be available starting in the 2020–21 academic year.
There will be no increase in cost for the four-bedroom, two-bathroom rooms at the Punxsutawney Living Center for 2020–21 and for 2021–22. There will be a 3 percent increase in the cost for a two-bedroom, two-bathroom room for the 2020–21 and 2021–22 academic years ($113 and $116, respectively). There will also be a 3 percent and 3.1 percent increase in costs for two types of room style at the Punxsutawney Living Center for the 11-week summer culinary program.
The majority of residence halls on the IUP campus are owned by the Foundation for IUP.
Due to increased costs, the Council approved an increase of $25 for the international orientation fee, a one-time fee, and an increase of $25 to the immigration fee, for the 2020–21 academic year. Trustees approved no increase in these fees for the 2021–22 academic year. The international orientation fee covers the unique programming offered to international students, designed to assist in their academic success and adjustment to life in the United States and at IUP. The last increase to this fee was in fall 2013.
Two new one-time fees, both optional and for international students only, were approved: the post-completion training fee of $100 and the STEM Extension fee of $200. Trustees approved no increase in these fees for the 2021–22 academic year.
The post-completion fee is paid only by those international students and scholars in a non-immigrant status who elect to apply for Optional Practical Training or Academic Training. These trainings provide the students with a hands-on opportunity for employment or training related to an academic field of study for up to 12 months.
This new $200 STEM Extension fee is paid only by those international students in non-immigrant status who elect to apply for STEM Extension while on Optional Practical Training. If approved for a STEM extension, students can work full-time for an additional 24 months past their initial 12 months of OPT, for a total of 36 months.
These new fees will support the continued maintenance and reporting requirements associated with these trainings.
A total of 561 international students, representing 56 countries, joined the IUP community in fall 2019.