Spring Break
Curators raise tuition and fees, but not student representation
Derek Simons
Issue date: 4/7/08 Section: News
The University of Missouri System (UM) Board of Curators approved a 4.1 percent increase in tuition and most fees at its meeting on April 5 in Rolla. The raise in rates is based on the increase of the Consumer Price Index (CPI) and is effective beginning with the 2008 summer session.
A student enrolled in 15 credit hours will spend $291 more per semester for the base tuition, which will go from $7,077 to $7,368.
Documents released at the meeting specify this cost as the "sticker price" and indicate that with the amount of grant aid distributed, the average student should actually expect to pay $2,726 in base tuition in FY2009. Needier students (those with family income of less than $40,000) can expect to pay on average $520 for 15 credit hours, according to the Curators' report.
The Curators also approved the latest figures for the new Student Union at UMKC. The total project cost has been reduced to $38,400,000 from the original estimate of $45,500,000. Because of this, the supplemental student fee (effective when the building opens) has been reduced by 18 percent. Instead of $16.75, the fee is now set at $13.75 per credit hour up to a maximum of 12 credit hours.
Comparing total student fees, at $424.00, UMKC will become the most expensive of the four UM campuses for additional costs beyond the base tuition. Technically, University of Missouri-Columbia is costlier, with a total fee of $439.18, but of that, $104 is an optional fee for athletic tickets.
The Curators also discussed a bill on a board position for a student curator passed by the Missouri State Senate 31-2, but still in committee at the House. At present, the Missouri Constitution mandates a nine-member board for the UM, equal to the number of congressional districts, with no more than one member from each district. If Missouri loses a district in the next census, the bill would transform the current non-voting student representative position into that of a curator with full voting rights except for personnel issues.
A student enrolled in 15 credit hours will spend $291 more per semester for the base tuition, which will go from $7,077 to $7,368.
Documents released at the meeting specify this cost as the "sticker price" and indicate that with the amount of grant aid distributed, the average student should actually expect to pay $2,726 in base tuition in FY2009. Needier students (those with family income of less than $40,000) can expect to pay on average $520 for 15 credit hours, according to the Curators' report.
The Curators also approved the latest figures for the new Student Union at UMKC. The total project cost has been reduced to $38,400,000 from the original estimate of $45,500,000. Because of this, the supplemental student fee (effective when the building opens) has been reduced by 18 percent. Instead of $16.75, the fee is now set at $13.75 per credit hour up to a maximum of 12 credit hours.
Comparing total student fees, at $424.00, UMKC will become the most expensive of the four UM campuses for additional costs beyond the base tuition. Technically, University of Missouri-Columbia is costlier, with a total fee of $439.18, but of that, $104 is an optional fee for athletic tickets.
The Curators also discussed a bill on a board position for a student curator passed by the Missouri State Senate 31-2, but still in committee at the House. At present, the Missouri Constitution mandates a nine-member board for the UM, equal to the number of congressional districts, with no more than one member from each district. If Missouri loses a district in the next census, the bill would transform the current non-voting student representative position into that of a curator with full voting rights except for personnel issues.
Be the first to comment on this story