Students of Mississippi’s eight public universities, including Mississippi University for Women and Mississippi State University, may soon face increased tuition costs.
The College Board Thursday approved preliminary requests for an increase and will vote on increases for the next two years at its May 7 board meeting. If approved, the changes will be implemented July 1, at the beginning of the new fiscal year.
Across the state, the eight schools are asking for between 5.5 percent and 10 percent increases for residents this fiscal year. Proposed non-resident increases range from two percent to 10.8 percent.
MUW is seeking a nine percent increase in resident and non-resident tuition. If the vote passes, tuition for in-state students will increase from $4,876 to $5,315 per year, or two full-time semesters. Tuition for out-of-state students will increase from $13,287 to $14,483.
The college is asking for a six percent increase in 2014.
MUW President Dr. Jim Borsig said it’s a difficult decision to raise tuition, especially since part of his vision for the university is student recruitment and retention.
“We have to make sure we have the revenue to maintain the quality of the educational programs, because once a student graduates, we want to make sure we are providing the absolute best education we can,” Borsig said.
There are also faculty salaries to consider, he said. MUW lags 15 percent behind the regional average, which makes it difficult to compete with other universities to hire and keep faculty.
“Having the right tools to teach students does not come cheap,” he said. “We appreciate all the state has done for us and what the cost of higher education is, but these are necessary investments to maintain the quality students expect when they study at MUW.”
Along with the increases for students though, the university itself is making reductions — particularly in purchasing and energy — to cut costs, Borsig said.
“We’ve been pretty relentless over the past three or four years to operate in the most efficient manner possible,” he added. “We’re going to continue to do that. I am committed to working overtime to raise our faculty salaries to a competitive level.”
Mississippi State University is asking for a six percent increase in resident and non-resident tuition for both fiscal years. Tuition is currently $5,805 for residents and $8,865 for non-residents per year, or two full-time semesters. If the proposed tuition increase is approved, tuition will be $6,153 for residents and $9,397 for non-residents beginning July 1.
Current resident tuition for MSU’s College of Veterinary Medicine is $17,304. Non-resident tuition is $24,200.
MSU is asking for a 4.1 percent increase for 2013 and a 3.7 percent increase for 2014 through 2016 for residents. MSU also seeks a proposed 3.3 percent increase for 2013 and 0.8 percent increase for 2014 for non-residents. Students would not face increased tuition for 2015 and 2016. If the increases are approved, resident tuition for Fiscal Year 2013 will be $18,011 and non-resident tuition will be $25,000.
Tuition at the eight colleges may increase even more, if state appropriations are reduced or if the state decides to fund more contributions to the Public Employees Retirement System. The requests are based upon the assumption colleges will receive the same amount of state funds as received this year.
Though unlikely, proposed increases may not be necessary if state appropriations are high enough, but the state House of Representatives is requesting a 0.4 percent reduction in appropriations and the Senate is proposing a 1.5 percent reduction.
Even if the tuition hikes are approved, they can be reduced again, if they cause a drop in enrollment.
“We have done more with less through this downturn of the economy, and tuition has gone up, but it hasn’t filled the gap,” Borsig said. “We have to have the resources necessary to operate the university and improve our quality. This is just one of those things we have to do. We’re not going to ask to increase tuition by a single dollar more than what we (must) to maintain the quality of the institution.”
Tuition isn’t the only fee increasing at MUW. Students will also feel the pinch for meals and room-and-board costs.
The structure of the student meal plan is changing, said Nora Miller, vice president for finance and administration.
Currently, students pay $2,314 a year for a 10-, 14- or 19-meal plan per week. The new plan will cost $2,527 per year, with unlimited access to the cafeteria and $150 flex dollars per semester for snacks and other non-cafeteria food items.
Along with the price changes, students will also see a few new places to spend those flex dollars. The Golden Goose Grill will be converted into a Subway and a coffee shop will be added.
Room-and-board costs will increase 3.1 percent. Rooms currently average $3,434 per semester, but next year they will average $3,537.
“We’re trying to keep costs as low as possible, but we need to ensure a quality experience and a quality education,” Miller said.
Carmen K. Sisson is the former news editor at The Dispatch.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 41 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.