HARRISBURG, PA – Access to education is one of the critical issues of our time. Education serves as a foundation for strong communities and equips individuals with the skills necessary to participate in civic life and contribute to the local economy.
At the national level, education is essential for cultivating informed voters, leaders, and innovators – and it supports the continued growth of nationally vital industries such as advanced agriculture, biotechnology, cybersecurity, healthcare, manufacturing, and many other fields across the social and physical sciences.
Harrisburg University of Science and Technology (HU) exists because Central Pennsylvania needed a university with a clear focus on these academic and industrial fields. As a nonprofit center for higher learning, HU has remained focused on fostering driven individuals with the right skills for our digitized and globalized world – and to do so while minimizing or eliminating student debt as often as possible.
A recent article in Dauphin News rightfully places education access at the forefront of issues facing Pennsylvania – specifically Dauphin County – residents. Citing data from the National Center for Education Statistics, the article shows that college tuition fees have risen by 2.7 percent in Dauphin County between 2022 and 2023, for a new average of $11,805 per year. But these numbers don’t tell the whole story.
At Harrisburg University, the average annual cost of tuition for traditional undergraduates in 2024, after gift aid, is $3,407 per year. This gift aid takes the form of scholarships and state or federal grants, meaning students don’t have to pay it back. There are no strings or gimmicks – this is the actual average cost of tuition at what U.S. News & World Report calls one of the Most Innovative Schools in the region.
Harrisburg University is committed to providing a strong private-college education – one that is truly responsive to industry and workforce needs – at a reasonable cost. This is why every first-year undergraduate student who studies with us is automatically considered for a university-funded scholarship of between $11,000 and $16,000 per year. For transfer students, scholarships start at $6,000 per year.
Although the average cost of college is rising in Pennsylvania and just about everywhere else, Harrisburg University is holding the line. As our president, Dr. Eric Darr, shared with PennLive earlier this year, Harrisburg University has kept its base tuition rates for undergraduates frozen for more than 11 years. When the total cost of attending college has risen by 169 percent between 1980 and 2020, HU offers a stark contrast.
Dauphin News correctly points out that Harrisburg University students receive far more money in grants and scholarships ($18,747 per student per year) than any other Dauphin County university, including Penn State Harrisburg ($8,421 per student per semester) and Harrisburg Area Community College ($6,425 per student per semester).
To learn more about the financial aid options available at Harrisburg University, please visit HarrisburgU.edu. Prospective students and their families are also invited to attend an Open House on October 5 or November 16. Visitors will be able to tour HU’s new advanced manufacturing and allied healthcare labs, speak with professors, and explore the ways in which we strive to keep STEM education accessible, affordable, and relevant for all in Central PA.
ABOUT HARRISBURG UNIVERSITY
Harrisburg University is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education and is a private, nonprofit university offering bachelor’s and graduate degree programs in the fields of science, technology, and mathematics. For additional information about the University’s affordable, demand-driven undergraduate and graduate programs, please call 717.901.5146 or email Connect@HarrisburgU.edu. Stay updated by following Harrisburg University on X, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook.
