Purdue trustees endorse tuition freeze, approve new commercial flight to Chicago
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The Purdue University board of trustees endorsed a tuition freeze for undergraduate students for the 14th consecutive year during its meeting Friday.
The board also approved a two-year agreement with SkyWest Airlines to add a new nonstop flight from Purdue University Airport to Chicago O’Hare International Airport.
The tuition freeze, which the trustees must formally approve in late spring after the state’s new two-year budget is passed, will last through at least the 2026-27 academic year, Purdue said. Base undergraduate tuition will remain at $9,992 per year for Indiana residents and $28,794 for out-of-state students.
Purdue President Mung Chiang said in a news release that the university is in a unique position.
“We can continue freezing tuition and maximize student access as a land-grant institution while simultaneously maintaining our commitment to the dedicated faculty and staff vital to achieving excellence at scale,” Chiang said. “At a time when many universities have chosen salary freezes or reduction in workforce, Purdue is in a strong position financially to make salary investments to recognize the capabilities of its workforce and further improve its competitiveness in recruiting top talent.”
Former Purdue President Mitch Daniels first implemented the tuition freeze in 2013. The university said its base tuition will be a third less than the projected Big Ten average in 2026-27.
New Chicago flight
The agreement with SkyWest Airlines—valued at just over $5 million—will see the airline run at least one daily, nonstop United Express round-trip flight to O’Hare, beginning in August.
The airline will use CRJ200 twin-engine jets that can hold 50 passengers per flight. The new flights will coincide with the airport’s new, $11.8 million Amelia Earhart Terminal, which is slated to open in August.
“We’re pleased to partner with SkyWest and excited for the enhancements they’ll provide for Purdue and the surrounding community,” Jessica Robertson, Purdue associate vice president for auxiliary services, said in a university release. “The new agreement not only addresses immediate operational needs but also positions the university for future growth in flight options and destinations.”
Travelers will be able to begin booking the new United Express-branded flights on April 10, with the first flight scheduled for Aug. 5, the university said.
“This is going to make it so much easier, because it’s United branded,” Trustee Theresa Carter said. “Getting through connections at O’Hare and getting down here will be very, very easy. And plus, it’s a larger aircraft. So, you’re going to be able to increase the throughput, and I think once it get’s going, we should have good demand.”
Purdue began construction on the new, 9,400-square-foot terminal last May. The terminal is designed to provide increased capacity and advanced facilities to accommodate the expanded flight offerings and larger aircraft.
The university first announced a return of commercial service to Chicago through Southern Airways Express, a subsidiary of California-based Surf Air Mobility, in 2023. That service began the following year.
It was not immediately clear if the new service from SkyWest Airlines will replace or complement the Southern Airways flight.