A budget plan passed by the Pennsylvania House on Wednesday and expected to move through the Senate this week includes an appropriation increase for Penn State, and if approved, university President Eric Barron says he will recommend no tuition increase for in-state students at all of the school’s campuses for 2018-19.

A $32.7 billion state budget deal negotiated by Republican leaders in the legislature and Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf includes a 3 percent increase in Penn State’s general appropriation, which would take it from $230.4 million for the past year to $237.3 million. Wolf’s initial proposal recommended flat funding for a third consecutive year.

“Affordability of higher education is a significant concern,” Senate Majority Leader Jake Corman, R-Benner Township, said. “This money puts Penn State in a position to keep a tuition increase at bay this year.”

Barron confirmed that if the budget passes in its current form he would recommend to the Board of Trustees at its meetings on July 19-20 freezing tuition for Pennsylvania resident students for the upcoming year.

“We are focused on maintaining the world-class quality of a Penn State education, while keeping costs to Pennsylvania resident students and their families as low as possible,” Barron said. “We are committed to maintaining a strong partnership with the Commonwealth in the years ahead.  We appreciate the hard work by the General Assembly, in particular the leadership of Senator Jake Corman, and Governor Wolf to bring this proposed increase to a vote.”

For 2017-18, Penn State had an aggregate tuition increase of 2.45 percent, including 2.74 percent for in-state undergraduates at University Park. A freeze this year would keep base tuition for Pennsylvania resident freshmen and sophomores at University Park at $17,416. Students also paid an additional $1,020 in mandatory fees in 2017-18.

“We are encouraged by the direction of these conversations,” Board of Trustees Chair Mark Dambly said. “The appropriation represents a critical investment in Penn State’s next generation of student leaders. If this proposal were to proceed, we look forward to considering President Barron’s recommendations at our upcoming meeting. The board of trustees remains extremely focused not only on maintaining the high quality of a Penn State degree, but also on keeping a Penn State education accessible and affordable for Pennsylvanians.”

In addition to the general appropriation, last year Penn State also received about $88 million for the Hershey Medical Center, Agricultural Extension and Pennsylvania College of Technology. Penn College would see an increase of $662,000 bringing its appropriation to $22,736,000 in 2018-19. Proposed funding for the medical center and extension were not immediately clear.

The three other state-related universities and 14 state-owned universities also would see a 3 percent increase.

The overall state budget package represents a 2 percent increase in spending over the past year and includes no new taxes. In addition to  universities, the budget ups spending for public schools, early-childhood education, vocational education, social services, pensions and prisons and includes $70 million for school safety initiatives.

“We’re thrilled that the Pennsylvania House has taken a tangible step toward supporting higher education here at Penn State and across the Commonwealth,” said Jake Griggs, governmental affairs chair of Penn State’s undergraduate student government. “We hope the Senate will follow suit.”

Recent years have seen budget impasses that dragged on for months after the start of the fiscal year on July 1. That’s unlikely to happen this year, however, with an election-year budget already negotiated by top Republican lawmakers and Wolf.