Southeast Missouri State University students will have to pay a little bit more for classes next year.
The university’s Board of Regents approved a fee increase at Saturday’s meeting of $3.75 per credit hour for in-state undergraduate students. That’s a 1.7% increase, which amount to about $56 per semester for a typical full time student.
Under state law, the maximum amount a university can increase tuition is the change in the Consumer Price Index. Vice President Kathy Mangels said this increase was just below CPI.
“It’s actually the lowest increase of all the four-year institutions in the state,” Mangels said. “We’ve always been very focused on affordability. We understand our region and our students. It’s always been a major focus on this campus.”
The university also increased fees by 1.7% for out-of-state and graduate students, as well as for students at regional campuses.
Also at Saturday’s meeting, university officials explained they have approximately $2 million in one-time-money on hand because they budgeted last year in anticipation of an eight percent budget decrease in state appropriations. Instead, the university received a small funding increase.
Mangels said they have targeted ways to use that money.
“We set some money aside for replacing classroom furniture, some of the older tablet and armchairs in the classrooms and also funding some information technology projects, and also a military initiative that we’re working on on campus,” Mangels said.
The university also plans to give a 3% merit-based pay raise to faculty and staff. Employees have received a cumulative 4% pay raise over the past four years combined. They did not receive raise in FY2010 and FY2011, and 2% pay increases in FY2012 and FY2013.
“When you compare that to the inflation that our employees are facing, we’re behind, and our employees are behind,” Mangels said.
