Tuition hiked 4.6 percent in July as CMU braces for state budget cuts

Chelsea Jacobs is like many of the bright-faced incoming Central Michigan University students.

Yet, classes and college life are not the only things Rochester Hills freshman is anticipating.

And her feelings may be shared around the state.

“Since I am a freshman, I don’t have anything to compare (the previous tuition to),” Jacobs said. “However, it’s going to be tough starting out with higher tuition. I have some scholarships, but not enough to cover (it all), so I do have loans out, too.”

Jacobs represents about 51.4 percent of CMU’s student body not covered under the CMU Promise, which set a fixed tuition rate for students who registered between fall 2005 and summer 2008. Up to 8,900 students are on the CMU Promise.

Tuition was raised 4.6 percent for the 2009-10 academic year at the July 16 Board of Trustees meeting. Students without the CMU Promise now will pay $339 per credit hour, $15 more than last year.

Director of Media Relations Steve Smith said while the tuition increase affects approximately half of the CMU student body, this includes an increase in financial aid, which he said allows the university to strengthen academic programs and maintain basic needs.

“The board directed the administration to utilize $1.81 million dollars from the new tuition rate for increased financial aid,” he said. “That brings the university’s total financial aid budget to $28.6 million annually.”

The university budget, which includes more than $391 million in total expenses, is based off Michigan’s budget, which is not yet finalized but facing a $2 billion shortfall. The state House and Senate had a session Tuesday to discuss the state budget, which will go into effect Oct. 1.

CMU received an increase of more than $819,000 in appropriations last summer, a 1 percent increase from the previous year. In June, Interim University President Kathy Wilbur said CMU would be ‘lucky’ if appropriations remained at the same level.

Around the state

The average Michigan public university tuition increase was 5.65 percent.

Grand Valley State University increased its tuition by 5.3 percent for this academic year.

Michigan Technological University raised its tuition 5.45 percent, or $19 per credit hour, to $11,347 per year. Its budget is based on revenues that include a 3 percent cut in state funding, according to the school’s Web site.

Lake Superior State University increased its tuition by 4.6 percent. Tom Pink, director of Public Relations at Lake Superior State University, said many factors can affect the tuition increase and no one is exempt from the reach of this recession.

“That increase puts us at the middle of the pack for Michigan’s 15 public universities, and any time we raise tuition, we try to do it so that it has as little effect as possible on our students,” Pink said.
Oakland University Media Relations Director Ted Montgomery said the tuition budget for the 2009-10 academic year rose to 9 percent.

“We’re still going to have to make cuts to balance our budget,” he said.

OU considered an 11 percent increase at its July 24 meeting. After reaching a deadlock, OU trustees voted for the 9 percent increase.

Tuition at Saginaw Valley State University rose to 6.3 percent. J.J. Boehm, director of media relations at SVSU, said there is an expectation to see less money from the state, because there has been a steady erosion of state support of higher education.

“Michigan is in a very difficult financial situation, they have chosen to direct those resources elsewhere and naturally, we feel higher education is an investment in the future of our state and its people. And the future is educating our citizens,” Boehm said.