University of Pittsburgh Chancellor Mark Nordenberg hinted in a letter to the federal government that in-state students could face higher tuition unless his school and three other state-related universities receive $42 million in federal stimulus aid.

Pitt and Temple universities today provided copies of letters sent by their leaders to U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan, protesting Gov. Ed Rendell's decision Friday to classify the four schools as non-public and thus ineligible for stimulus money.

The Rendell administration says the schools were omitted from Pennsylvania's revised stimulus application because the state does not have absolute authority over them, and as evidence of that, the governor in recent months has cited large tuition increases enacted by those schools.

In his letter, Mr. Nordenberg said Pitt, Penn State, Temple and Lincoln collectively educate 123,000 Pennsylvanians, a sum higher than the roughly 101,000 in-state students attending the 14 state-owned universities, which are slated to receive stimulus aid.

Mr. Nordenberg's letter, and that of Temple President Ann Weaver Hart, contained arguments similar to those raised by Penn State University President Graham Spanier. Dr. Spanier said a dangerous precedent would be set if a governor is allowed to arbitrarily pick and choose which schools are considered public for the sake of receiving federal aid.

"The governor criticized (unfairly, we believe) our tuition-setting practices," Mr. Nordenberg said in his letter, dated yesterday. "Among other things, he specifically called for Pennsylvania's public research universities to control tuition at their "satellite campuses."'

Mr. Nordenberg said his school -- responding to the governor and with the understanding that stimulus money was available -- announced a tuition freeze at its Bradford, Greensburg, Johnstown and Titusville campuses for the upcoming fall. He said Pitt also pledged, given the bad economy, to do everything possible to hold Pittsburgh campus tuition increases to a minimum.

He noted that Temple, as well, set exceptionally low tuition increases.

"Of course, this new (stimulus) application changes everything dramatically, and that change goes well beyond the fact that Pitt, Penn State, Temple and Lincoln would be deprived of anticipated support" from the stimulus pool.

Mr. Nordenberg noted millions of cuts in state aid that his campus, like the other state related schools, have already faced.

And he said Mr. Rendell's handling of the stimulus application undermines one of the law's intents -- "to mitigate the need to raise tuition and fees for in-state students."

Pitt spokesman John Harvith could not immediately say if Pitt would revisit the branch campus freeze, or other aspects of its tuition policy for in-state students, if it loses its $10 million share of stimulus aid.

At Lincoln University, another state-related school, potential loss of $870,000 in stimulus aid on top of likely appropriation cuts has forced planners to revisit next year's draft budget.

Lincoln was contemplating a 3 percent tuition increase but now "it could be potentially double (that) hopefully not more," said Michael Hill vice president for development and external relations.