Due to diminished funding from the state of Missouri, universities across the state are taking hard looks at budgets.
Although Missouri State University expects to receive approximately 9 percent less from the state during 2017-18, the Board of Governors Executive Committee decided yesterday (April 19) that students would not bear the burden of a 9 percent tuition hike.
While Missouri State students will see a modest increase in student fees next year, the university will remain below the national average. In 2017-18, undergraduate resident tuition will increase $4 per credit hour. This is less than the rate of inflation for calendar year 2016.
“The state has a revenue gap to fill, so we expect to receive significantly less state funding in the coming fiscal year,” said President Clif Smart. “We are budgeting for a $7.4 million cut in state funding on the Springfield campus.”
The approved tuition and fee schedule follows the structure set forth by the Higher Education Student Funding Act. HESFA allows for in-state undergraduate student tuition to increase only at the same rate as the CPI, which was 2.1 percent.
“As president, I have always been dedicated to offering quality education and doing so without overburdening our students with debt,” said Smart. “We discussed many options, and I’m happy to say that we are only raising tuition and fees by 2.1 percent for in-state undergraduate students.”
Tuition and fee changes
- Undergraduate resident tuition for 2017-18 will increase from $206 to $210 per credit hour
- Graduate students from Missouri will see an increase of $10 per credit hour
- Undergraduate tuition for out-of-state students will increase $18 per credit hour
- Graduate student tuition for out-of-state students will increase $21 per credit hour
Student services fees will increase $11 per semester for students enrolled in seven or more credit hours.
The $11 increase does not include the student-approved Health Center Fee ($29 per semester).
Housing
The combined room and board increase will not exceed 3.31 percent.
College fees
Students within two colleges, the College of Arts and Letters (COAL) and the College of Business (COB), will see additional fees on top of the tuition increase.
The board approved an increase of:
- $7 per credit hour for art and design students and media, journalism and film production students (in COAL)
- $15 per credit hour for students in advanced level COB courses (those numbered 300-599)
West Plains
Tuition for the West Plains campus will increase $5 per credit hour for Missouri residents and $10 per credit hour for non-Missouri residents. This represents a 4.2 percent increase. Public two-year colleges are not constrained by the HESFA stipulation.
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