KALAMAZOO, MI (WKZO AM/FM) – Tuition and room and board rates will be going up at Western Michigan University, but school officials say the hike is not as large as it could have been, and keeps them about in the middle when it comes to other state public colleges.
WMU officials say the cost of operating residence halls has gone up due to inflation. While they froze prices during the pandemic and only increased rates 2% last year, Vice-President for Student Services Diane Anderson says they can’t do that again. Dorm rates will be going up 5.5%.
Vice President for Finance Jan Van Der Kley says the same goes for undergraduate tuition, which will be going up 4.62%. That’s about $14,600 for a full time student, or $644 more than last year. Tuition rates for out-of-state undergrads, grad students and online students will remain flat.
On campus apartment rate increases vary, depending on the complex. Their relatively new Western View units will go up 4.5%. Stadium Drive Apartment rates will go up 1%, and rates at the Arcadia Flats complex will remain flat.
Van Der Kley says the state imposed a tuition restraint number this week, and while they are above it percentage wise, they are below the limit by dollar amount.
The state is now threatening to pull all state funding from any university that exceeds a 5.5% hike or a $676 increase, so they are in compliance. She thinks the new penalty is “egregious”.
Van Der Kley says the University will be increasing their need-based financial aid by a like amount, and many other scholarship programs are available. Kalamazoo Promise students only have to worry about the room and board increases, if they aren’t living at home.
The rate hikes will take effect with the fall semester.
Trustees also approved their $410-million dollar budget for the 2023-2024 school year, which is a 1% increase over last year.
They learned this week that the State will be increasing the allocation to WMU by 5%.
reporting from John McNeill
