To save on costs, incoming freshman Ethan DeVore of Huntingdon plans to commute to Penn State Altoona this fall.
He estimates a savings of more than $6,000 after comparing the price of room and board to what gas should cost for the 35-minute trip.
His decision came before Penn State University trustees Friday approved tuition hikes of about 5 percent for the 2008-09 academic year.
The percentage differs according to students' academic years and what campuses they attend. For instance, freshmen and sophomores from Pennsylvania who attend the University Park campus will see tuition rise by 4.7 percent, or $365 a semester.
Nonresident freshmen or sophomores at University Park will see tuition go up 5.9 percent, or $548 a semester.
With prices rising and two boys in college, DeVore's mother, Pam DeVore, is trying to save money where she can.
The thought of a tuition increase is upsetting.
''We want our kids to go to college,'' she said. ''What isn't going up?''
David Pearlman, Penn State Altoona director of student aid, said parent loans and deferred payment plans are available to students.
He said every student qualifies for loans guaranteed by the federal government, and he advised searching for scholarships at www.fastweb.com and on college Web sites.
Trustees Friday also approved a $3.6 billion budget, up 5.1 percent from last year. The 2008-09 budget includes a $338 million appropriation from the General Assembly.
School president Graham Spanier said the budget reflected ''concerted efforts to tighten our belts in the face of significant fiscal challenges.'' State appropriations to Penn State have increased by more than 5 percent during the past eight years.
''This signals a trend in state practice, perhaps unintended, to shift more of the burden of the cost of higher education to students and their families,'' Spanier said in a statement. ''This is a shift we lament.''
Among the 11 Big Ten universities, Penn State had the highest total undergraduate tuition and fees for in-state, main campus students at $12,844 for the 2007-08 academic year, more than $1,700 higher than second-place Illinois.
Penn State ranked third-highest for out-of-state students at $23,712, behind Michigan and Illinois.
Also Friday, University of Pittsburgh trustees announced tuition increases between 2 percent and 6 percent for 2008-09.
In-state students attending Pitt's main campus will pay 6 percent more, while out-of-state students will see a 4 percent increase.
In-state students at the university's four regional campuses (Johnstown, Titusville, Greensburg and Bradford) will pay 4 percent more, while out-of-state students at those campuses will pay 2 percent more.
In comparison, Juniata College's tuition will go up 4.8 percent for 2008-09.
''Very few students who attend private colleges like Juniata pay the full amount of tuition, thanks to endowed scholarships that the college uses as internal financial aid, state and federal grants and other programs that can be applied to every student that qualifies for financial aid,'' college spokesman John Wall said.
The Associated Press contributed to this story. Mirror Staff Writer Amanda Clegg is at 949-7030.
