CMU Trustees approve 1.96% tuition increase, also set graduate tuition, room and board
In-state undergraduate students will pay $365 per credit hour at Central Michigan University starting next fall.
Thursday, the CMU Board of Trustees approved a 1.96-percent undergraduate tuition increase for the 2012-13 academic year.
With this increase, CMU will remain the fourth most expensive among public universities in Michigan in terms of tuition rates, behind Michigan Technological University, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor and Michigan State University.
The 1.96-percent increase translates to an increase of $7 per undergraduate credit hour. Out-of-state students will pay $789 per credit hour.
"We’ve looked forward beyond just the immediate year,” said Vice President of Finances and Administrative Services David Burdette. "These numbers reflect that."
Last year, CMU had the lowest increase among the 15 Michigan public universities, when tuition was increased for the 2011-12 academic year by 3.47 percent, or $12 per credit hour.
In addition to undergraduate tuition rates, graduate tuition rates, ProfEd, renamed at Thursday’s meeting as CMU’s Global Campus and room and board rates were set.
An increase of 1.93 percent was approved for master’s programs, bringing the cost per credit hour to $476. For doctoral programs, a 1.86 percent increase was approved, and the cost will now be $548 per credit hour.
CMU’s Global Campus, the former "ProfEd," will have a two-percent average increase. Room and board rates will also increase two percent, but CMU will remain ranked sixth among the 15 public universities in Michigan. Cost of room and board will be $8,376 with a unlimited meal plan.
Provost Gary Shapiro said the cost of CMU’s Global Campus remains competitive with on-campus programs.
“We want Global Campus courses to be roughly the same price as on-campus course so there’s no incentive to take a course on a specific campus due to price,” Shapiro said. “Right now, rates are close, and we don’t want to change that.”
University President George Ross said tuition increases remain low because of sacrifices made by university faculty and staff members.
“Our tuition rates over the last three years have been very modest. Our faculty and staff have made compromises like taking a year and a half, even two-year pay freezes,” he said. “That is why we can be so modest today.”
Trustee Robert F. Wardrop II asked why a 0-percent increase wasn’t an option.
“We do have certain costs we have to cover, so a 0-percent increase isn’t realistic,” Burdette said. “We thought four percent would be unfair to students and their parents. Therefore, two percent seems the appropriate number for students and their parents next year.”
With the tuition increase, 58.63 percent of CMU’s total revenue will come from student tuition and fees. An estimated 15.94 percent will come from state appropriations.
If state appropriations don’t meet expectations, Ross said adjustments will be made as necessary.
“If we don’t get the appropriations we are expecting, we’ll make adjustments as necessary,” he said. “It will not impact any student or academic program on campus.”
