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Purdue Tuition Freeze Extended To End Of Mitch Daniels' Contract

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A tuition freeze started by Purdue University president Mitch Daniels when he entered his current office could now extend until he steps down.

Purdue officials Thursday announced plans to hold tuition at 2012 levels through the end of the 2019-2020 school year – the same time Daniels’ contract as president runs out.

Daniels has long said he doesn’t think the school can continue the freeze indefinitely, and there had been speculation whether he would be the person to end it before his expected retirement from the school.

Instead, Thursday’s move likely puts the burden on the school’s next president to be the first to raise tuition in nearly a decade.

The consistent cost of attending Purdue has bolstered the school’s reputation nationally as Daniels and others have hyped the ongoing freeze, and student recruitment has seen an uptick in recent years. The extra students have, in turn, helped offset the steady per-person income rate.

However, the freeze has also played a role in dorms becoming overcrowded and faculty complaining the school is missing out on money it would otherwise have had for building renovations, equipment purchases or bigger salary increases.

All of those could be factors hampering recruitment of high-profile faculty, which Daniels has said recently is an area where the school wants to see more success.

Tuition for in-state students will remain around $10,000 per year, while out-of-state and international student tuition is close to $30,000 annually.