In-state tuition to go up 4.7 percent, out-of-state 3.8 percent

The Truman State University Board of Governors unanimously passed a resolution to increase student tuition fees for the 2011 - 12 academic year.

The decision was an approximate 5 percent increase for in-state undergraduate students and approximately 4 percent increase for out-of-state undergraduates and graduate students, pending approval from the Missouri Department of Higher Education.

University President Troy Paino said the tuition increase is intended to help compensate for the probable 7 percent budget cut from the state while maintaining Truman's reputation for affordability.

"We wanted to do everything possible to the keep the education affordable while also trying to raise enough revenue to fill at least some of the gap that's being left by the state appropriation cut," Paino said.

Tuition hasn't increased for in-state undergraduates for the past two years, said Mark Gambaiana, vice president of University Advancement. However, non-resident and graduate students experienced a 4.7 percent increase in tuition this past year, according to the Board meetings notes.

"The rationale for the fee increase ties heavily on partially our decline in state funding and also the fact that we have significant increases in health insurance costs, utilities [and] retirement system costs, [which] have gone up the last couple years," Gambaiana said.

In comparison to other Missouri public colleges' average 5 - 6 percent increase, Truman's tuition increases are relatively modest, Budget Director Dave Rector said. Missouri Western State University recently increased their tuition by 9.5 percent for the upcoming school year.

 "We are trying to keep it as affordable as possible for students," Rector said. "We are hoping that the cuts are over and that they will level out."

Rector said the increased tuition will help compensate for the pending state budget cuts.

"When you put together the projected revenue from the tuition increase against what we are losing from the state, we still haven't reduced the budget for next year," Rector said.

Paino said a statute in Missouri currently limits tuition increases for state-funded colleges to the change in Consumer Price Index year to year.

Because the in-state tuition fee increase (4.7 percent), exceeds the Consumer Price Index for the current period (4.2 percent), the next step is to obtain a waiver from the commissioner of higher education, Paino said. If the waiver is not granted, the University will either have to pay a fee set by the commissioner or lower the approved tuition cost. If the Board's decision is denied, the Board will re-evaluate and choose to either pay the fee or lower tuition.

"It's a balancing act, obviously," Paino said. "We're expecting a 7 percent cut in our state appropriation, and so we knew we were going to have to raise tuition beyond the Consumer Price Index, especially in light of the fact the last two years we haven't raised in-state undergraduate tuition."

Paino said that when he had visited the residence halls in the fall, he had thought the state budget cuts might exceed 10 percent, so he told students he expected a tuition increase between 3 and 7 percent.

"When the governor came out with his budget and a 7 percent cut to state appropriation, I then told students that probably we'd be looking at somewhere between bottom-end 4, top-end 5 percent," Paino said.

Paino said that because tuition hasn't increased for the past two years, this increase is "extremely modest."

"I haven't received any negative reaction," Paino said. "I think students are appreciative of our efforts to keep tuition low, even during these very difficult times."