WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (AP) — Purdue University is freezing its tuition costs for the next two years in response to the nation's lingering weak economy.

The freeze announced Friday means the cost of basic in-state tuition at Purdue will remain about $10,000 until the end of the 2014-15 school year.

Purdue President Mitch Daniels said in a statement that "in this period of national economic stagnation, it's time for us to hit the pause button on tuition increases."

He says Purdue's students and their families "deserve a high-value education that they can afford."

The Journal & Courier reports (http://on.jconline.com/XH628b ) that under the freeze, the current base tuition for Indiana and out-of-state students on the West Lafayette campus will remain unchanged for two years.

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Information from: Journal and Courier, http://www.jconline.com