The ongoing discussion regarding tuition increases was put to rest Friday, as the UM System Board of Curators voted to accept the system’s recommendation and raise tuition and required fees at MU by 5.8 percent.
Effective with the summer 2011 session, the board voted 5-3 in favor of raising tuition at its meeting at MU. Curators Don Downing, David Wasinger and David Bradley voted against the proposal. Across the four-campus system, tuition and required fees will raise an average of 5.5 percent.
These rate hikes come on the heels of Gov. Jay Nixon’s proposal to cut system funding by 7 percent, or $29.9 million. Even with the tuition increase that will generate $24.1 million, Vice President of Finance and Administration Nikki Krawitz said the system will still see a $42.4 million shortfall. And that’s after an additional $11.3 million in efficiencies were cut in next year’s budget planning process.
“As we said at the meeting before, we could not bring any recommended increases that would completely close the funding gap,” Krawitz said.
Specifically at MU, the cost for resident undergraduate students will rise about $488 yearly, to a total of $8,917. Non-resident tuition will increase by 6.5 percent, or $42 per credit hour. This percentage, however, does not reflect the additional required fees the in-state cost includes. These numbers, if included, would lower the total percent.
For the first time, tuition is being decoupled across the system. At UM — St. Louis, the raise is 4.7 percent, and a 6.6 percent raise will be seen at the Missouri University of Science and Technology. UM — Kansas City is increasing tuition by 4.8 percent. This is to better reflect the four institution’s individual markets, Board Chairman Warren Erdman said in a previous Maneater report.
“Each of those campuses offers a little different product and is in a different marketplace,” Erdman said. “Each campus is different and has a different cost structure.”
More controversial among the board was the decision to increase specific course fees, notably the College of Business’ suggested rise from $35.50 to $70 per credit hour, a 97 percent increase.
After a few amendments, the board agreed in a 6-2 vote to pass a recommendation that increases fees half of the suggested increase this year. The other half will be raised next year.
This means the College of Business will increase course fees by $17.30 per credit hour, or 48.7 percent; the School of Journalism will increase course fees $9.30, or 22.5 percent; the School of Health Professions will increase course fees $10.20, or 18.6 percent; and the College of Engineering will increase course fees $7, or 11.7 percent. All remaining course fees at MU will rise 6.5 percent.
“No one’s going to leave this room happy,” Curator John Carnahan said.
Now that the system has increased tuition, it will have to appeal to a provision in Senate Bill 389. The bill restricts Missouri four-year institutions from raising their tuition by more than the Consumer Price Index, which is 1.5 percent this year. Although the bill has never been appealed since its enactment in 2007, Krawitz is confident it shouldn’t pose a problem to the system.
The deadline for applying for this provision is Tuesday.
