Purdue University

1. 1 Your tuition is the same number it was in 2012

   In 2013 Purdue froze tuition at the 2012 level, ending 37 consecutive years of increases, and it has not moved since. Base undergraduate tuition is still $9,992 a year for Indiana residents and $28,794 for out-of-state students, held through 2026-27 — the fourteenth consecutive freeze. The cumulative effect is not small: Purdue puts the saving to students and families at more than $1 billion since 2012-13, with annual student borrowing down 32% over the same period. Worth understanding precisely, because it is easy to over-read: the freeze covers base tuition and mandatory fees. It does not freeze housing and dining, which the trustees set separately each year, and it does not freeze course or programme fees attached to particular majors. Your total bill can still move; the tuition line does not. If you see a page saying the streak runs through 2025-26, that is an older page — the trustee releases are the current source.

   Trustees endorse the 14th consecutive freeze (2025) Purdue Moves — frozen tuition 2027 budget maintains the freeze
2. 2 Three attempts at a class — and dropping burns one

   University regulation: "a student may attempt a non-repeatable course ... up to three times." Three. For the whole degree, not per year. The detail that catches people is what counts as an attempt. Mechanical Engineering states it flatly: "Three Attempt Rule – a MAXIMUM of 3 attempts to successfully pass a course. Attempts include withdrawals (W and/or WF grades)." So a withdrawal in week eight is not a free escape — it spends one of your three. A fourth attempt is possible but it requires a waiver of University regulation, it is not guaranteed, and the College of Science is explicit that "Fourth attempt decisions may not be appealed." The consequence is bigger than one class. In Purdue's own words, "The inability to complete a degree requirement under University regulation can result in the inability to pursue a degree program." Run out of attempts at a required course and the major itself is in question. Two more rules from the ME page worth knowing: a C or higher cannot be repeated at all, and you cannot take a course and repeat its prerequisite in the same semester.

   College of Science — course repeat policy Mechanical Engineering — the three attempt rule
3. 3 The 3D printers are free, whatever your major

   The Boilermakery is an interactive makerspace on the ground floor of the Bechtel Innovation Design Center, and it is "free to use for all Purdue students regardless of college or major" — funded by the Purdue Student Fee Advisory Board, which is to say you are already paying for it. It runs Bambu Labs P1S 3D printers with a 256 x 256 x 256 mm build volume, plus hand tools and manufacturing machines. 1090 3rd Street. Separately, the Libraries' Knowledge Lab in WALC 3007 lends cameras, tripods and other maker tools. Reserve at least 24 hours in advance and bring your PUID to collect. The Libraries do NOT lend laptops, though the desktop computers are open to any student. There is also a Lending Locker run by Student Activities and Organizations, requested through BoilerLink.

   The Boilermakery Libraries — checking out cameras and equipment SAO Lending Locker
4. 4 The gym is already paid for — until you drop to seven credits

   RecWell membership is applied through your student fees when you are enrolled in 8 or more credit hours. That covers the Córdova Recreational Sports Center, the Boilermaker Aquatic Center and the Turf Recreational Exercise Center. Fall below that line — 7 credit hours or fewer — and the membership is no longer included. You would buy a semester membership instead, at $125. This is the quiet cost of a late drop that nobody mentions when you are deciding whether to drop. If you are sitting at 9 or 10 credits and considering dropping one more class, check where that leaves you before you file it, because the gym is not the only thing keyed to a credit-hour threshold — financial aid and housing frequently are too.

   RecWell — membership options RecWell FAQ
5. 5 Record the lecture. Gus writes it down.

   This is the part students actually use most: hit record at the start of class and Gus gives you back a timestamped transcript, a summary, and the key topics the lecture covered — so "what did he say about that" stops being a guess. The transcript is where it starts, not where it ends: from that same lecture you can generate flashcards, a practice quiz, or a podcast to listen to on the walk down State Street. It works on a phone in your pocket, and it keeps working if the lecture runs long.

   Try Gus free

One more thing