<p>"Tuition is too high and driving students away. That was the message of a group of Penn State students who gathered at noon Tuesday on campus to protest tuition bills that continue to spiral upward.</p>
<p>Using chants, signs and a marching drum to get their message across, the students started at Shields Building home to the Student Aid Office and walked across campus to the steps of Old Main.</p>
<p>What do we want? Lower tuition. When do we want it? Now, the group chanted.</p>
<p>Marcus Melvin, a senior in accounting and march organizer, said he has friends who had to withdraw from Penn State because they couldnt afford it.</p>
<p>With state cuts in appropriations and increased tuition, its becoming harder and harder for students such as myself to remain here, he said before the rally got started. Im just thankful I was able to remain here for four years and make it all the way through.</p>
<p>He said the march was a first step, and the message is directed to the university administration, the state and anyone who will listen."</p>
<p>Apparently, there's no impact on the number of applications.</p>
The state of PA is definitely not in a position to give any more money to PSU (not that they are giving much to begin with), so unless the number of applications drops off to the point where PSU can’t continue to overfill their freshman class…the COA at PSU will continue to rise.</p>
<p>As much as I would like to see tuition frozen, I don’t think PA is in a good position not to raise tuition some. I’m guessing they already maximize the % of OOS/International students so that revenue well is probably dry. Hopefully it won’t go too high.</p>
<p>Anyone want to organize a march on the Capitol?</p>
<p>Remember, elections have consequences. If there was a very active well-publicized effort to register students at all PA. colleges, and if they show up at the next election, the politicians would start to care.</p>