Students will pay $7 more per credit hour this year
The Central Michigan University Board of Trustees approved Thursday a 2.065 percent undergraduate tuition increase for the 2010-11 academic year.
Students not covered by the CMU Promise will pay $346 per credit hour in the fall. About 28.5 percent of returning students remain on the Promise.
“I’m pleased with the board’s action and it’s signaling to our students that we’re going to try and provide access,” said CMU President George Ross. “We talked about being modest for our students and families. It positions us to move forward and do some planning and move strategically forward.”
David Burdette, vice president of finance and administrative services, introduced options of a 2.065, 2.95 and 3.54 percent before the board settled on the lowest proposed rate.
Before the Trustees voted, Ross interrupted and recommended adopting the 2.065 increase. He said the school continues to model its budget based on a 20 percent reduction in state appropriations, but stressed the need to invest in students and academics.
Trustee Sarah Opperman made her support known for the 2.065 percent increase immediately and Trustees Gail Torreano and Sam Kottamasu followed suit. No trustees voiced opposition.
“It keeps pressure on everyone to make the right decisions financially,” Opperman said.
The increase puts CMU fourth among tuition for the 15 public universities in the state. Burdette said the average yearly cost of attending CMU will be approximately $19,000.
Last month, the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor voted to increase tuition 1.5 percent and Michigan State University announced a 2.5 percent increase. Eastern Michigan University continues to tout its 0 percent increase.
Trustee Stephanie Comai said providing access and being sensitive to students and their families’ economic situations was key in setting the rate.
“We have to balance that with maintaining the quality educational opportunities we offer here,” Comai said. “If we just cut our way into balancing our budget as opposed to increasing tuition, we would be denigrating the academic experience that students have here, and we just can’t do that. We have to maintain our academic integrity and maintain the infrastructure we have here.”
A similar 2.065 percent increase, approximately $480,000, in financial aid was also approved Thursday. The school will work with an operating budget of $417,903,423.
“I want again to say to our employee groups who have taken a zero (percent) increase to help mitigate the tuition increase that I’m grateful to them,” Ross said. “Operationally there’s nothing that we won’t be able to get accomplished.”
10-’11 state tuition cost per credit hour for in-state resident undergraduates Central Michigan University - $346 Michigan State University - $371 U of M-Ann Arbor - $395 U of M-Dearborn - $308 U of M-Flint - $287 Eastern Michigan University - $279 Wayne State University - $300 Northern Michigan University - $256 Saginaw Valley State University - $244 Michigan Technological University - $401 Grand Valley State University - $303 Oakland University - $324 Western Michigan University - * Ferris State University - $331 Lake Superior State University - $292
*has not set 2010-2011 tuition rates
