YOUNGSTOWN — The Youngstown State University Board of Trustees approved a tuition increase Friday at its final meeting of the 2023-24 fiscal year.

Trustees supported a tuition hike for new students, starting this fall semester.

“YSU’s undergraduate tuition remains one of the lowest in the state,” said university spokeswoman Becky Rose. “This increase is for students entering YSU in Fall 2024. As part of the Penguin Promise program, students as they enter YSU are locked into a tuition rate that will not change for their four years.”

Undergraduate students currently enrolled who are Ohio residents pay $4,377 per semester and non-Ohio residents pay $4,557. The rate for incoming students will be $5,522 for residents and $5,702 for nonresidents.

The tuition for masters-level students increased $233 across the board, raising the resident cost from $6,546 to $6,779 and the nonresident cost from $6,726 to $6,960. Doctoral students will see a $244 tuition increase up to $7,165 for residents and $7,345 for nonresidents.

Fees for YSU’s five colleges remained unchanged, except for the Beeghly College of Liberal Arts, Social Sciences and Education, which increased its cost per credit hour from $96 to $150. A three-credit-hour class now costs $450 as opposed to $288.

The meeting also saw the election of officers for the upcoming year and the swearing-in of the board’s newest trustee, Sterling Williams.

Michael Peterson will serve as chair, Charles George as vice chair and Anita Hackstedde as secretary.

The board also approved the appointments of Dr. Jennifer Pintar as provost and vice president for academic affairs and Sarah Keeler as vice president for government affairs.

Following regular business and the appointment of officers, President Bill Johnson presented Heritage Awards — the highest honor presented to a member of the YSU community — posthumously, to the families of the late Robert “Bob” Beebe, professor emeritus and founding chair of the first doctoral program at YSU, and the late Warren Melvin “Renny” Young, professor emeritus and Ward Beecher Planetarium founder.

Beebe died in April 2017, and Young in February 2022.

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