Purdue room and board rates to remain flat on West Lafayette campus for 2020-21

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Purdue students on the West Lafayette campus will see no increase in room and board rates for the 2020-21 academic year.

This will be the eighth consecutive year students on the West Lafayette campus will not see an increase in rates. Board rates were reduced twice — for the 2013-14 and 2014-15 academic years — and have not subsequently increased. Therefore, the total cost of room and board will be lower for 2020-21 than it was in 2012-13.

At Purdue Northwest’s Hammond campus, rates will increase by an average of 2%, and at Purdue Fort Wayne, rates will increase an average of 2.9%. This follows four years of no rate increase at each campus.

Purdue’s Board of Trustees approved the rates on Friday (Dec. 6) and also approved a lease for a portion of the Aspire at Discovery Park building located in the Discovery Park District.

“In just eight years, Purdue has gone from having the second-highest rates in the Big Ten to having the lowest. Room and board is the second-largest expense for our students and their families, and as long as we can avoid raising the cost without diminishing our commitment to excellence, it’s the right thing to do,” Purdue President Mitch Daniels said.

The Division of Student Life provides 14,995 beds across various price points for undergraduate and graduate students and families on or near the West Lafayette campus, an increase of 513 available beds over the 2019-20 academic year. The increase is largely the result of the opening of Third Street North and Meredith South residence halls, the reconfiguration of leases with off-campus properties and minor room reconfigurations.

Prices per academic year range from $2,446 to $9,500 based on room type and amenities.

A total of 1,300 beds will open in Third Street North and Meredith South residence halls, with 1,273 allocated for student use and 27 for resident assistant and resident education assistants. Prices in the new facilities range from $4,958 for a triple room in Meredith South, to $9,500 for a single with bathroom in the same building.

Those living in West Lafayette campus residence halls are also required to carry one of five meal plans, ranging from $2,998 to $5,398 per academic year. There also are options at Purdue University Residences apartment complexes where no meal plan is required.

Purdue Northwest-Hammond campus provides 744 beds in two- and four-bedroom apartment-style configurations. Rates for the two- and four-bed units are priced $5,707 and $6,644, respectively.

At Purdue Fort Wayne, 1,204 beds will be provided in one-, two-, three- and four-bedroom configurations. With increased demand for housing, the Fort Wayne campus also is leasing 31 units (124 beds) in the community to help meet demand as it is recruiting students from a broader geographical area. Rates range in price points from $4,930 to $9,876 per academic year.

Trustees also approved the execution of a lease for a portion of Aspire at Discovery Park, a three-building, four-story complex featuring two- and four-bedroom apartments. For the 2020-21 academic year, the university will lease 79 apartments directly from Aspire that include 256 beds for student housing and four beds for residential assistants for a total of 260 beds in Aspire. The lease will provide additional housing capacity to help address the increase in student enrollment on the West Lafayette campus.

About Purdue West Lafayette Student Life

The Division of Student Life provides approximately 14,995 beds across various price points and amenities on the West Lafayette campus, and all campus housing is voluntary. The system is financially self-supporting, and no state funds or general student fees are used for construction, maintenance or operations. Purdue’s residence hall network is one of the largest of any school that doesn’t require students to live on campus.

University Residences offers a package that includes furnished rooms with utilities, cable TV and wireless high-speed internet access. Meals are available 18 hours a day. Professional staff members live in residence halls to provide support to students and their communities. In addition, access to buildings is monitored, and security policies are enforced to help ensure student safety.  

Sources: Mitch Daniels, president@purdue.edu

Beth McCuskey, 765-494-1022, bmccuske@purdue.edu

Michael B. Cline, mbcline@purdue.edu