Board of Trustees approves budget, raises tuition
Chair of the Finance and Facilities Committee Edward Plawecki presents the Central Michigan University Board of Trustees a brief summary of what the committee has been working on in this Sept. 28, 2023, file photo.
Incoming freshmen will pay $19 per credit hour more in tuition than last year’s freshman class.
This is because the Central Michigan University Board of Trustees approved a new budget for the 2024-25 fiscal year on Tuesday, which includes an increase on tuition and housing, and a changed structure on meal plans for students.
“We are very cognizant of the costs incurred by our students in pursuing their degrees from Central Michigan,” Trustee Edward Plawecki said. “We are also very aware that the actions we take will affect our students, faculty, non-faculty members and the members of the community of Mount Pleasant. The long-term viability of Central Michigan is at stake when we make these decisions, so we do take them very (seriously).”
Tuition increase
The cost of education will be higher for all levels of undergraduate and graduate students.
President Bob Davies said that the tuition increase is being used to further enhance student experience on campus.
“We fully understand that tuition is not inexpensive, but we also put that money back into the student experience, either in educational programs, or student programs or some way to help them out,” Davies said.
For lower-level students -- those who have completed less than 56 credit hours -- there will be a $19 increase, bringing the total to $477 per credit hour .
Upper-level students will see an increase of $27, totaling $525 per credit hour.
The increased rates don’t just end at the undergraduate level, as students seeking a Master’s/Specialist and Doctoral degree will also face higher tuition.
For Master’s/Specialist candidates, there will be a $35 increase, putting their cost at $793 per credit hour. Doctoral tuition will be raised to $895 per credit hour -- a $37 increase.
This marks the second consecutive year of tuition increases; the hikes are higher across the board for 2024-25 than last year.
There will be no increase to the Student Services Fee.
Davies said the university is committed to helping students find ways to help pay for tuition, including scholarships and on-campus employment.
“We've always guaranteed students who want a job to have on campus, we’ll find them a place to work, and that's a great way to connect with (the) institution,” Davies said.
There are 15 publicly funded colleges and universities in the state. In the 2023-24 year, CMU ranked in the lower third of those institutions for lower-level tuition costs, and the bottom half for upper-level. CMU is expected to stay in that position even with the tuition increase, Vice President of Finance and Administrative Services Mary Hill said.
“Coming to Central Michigan University, we’re among the most affordable in the state,” Davies said. “So we provide great value there."
He cited a statistic that, within six months of graduation, "95% of our students (have a) job in-hand or are accepted to graduate school."
Housing and Meal Plans
Also growing this year was the cost of housing in most residence halls. While some students -- those who opt for a standard, four-person suite -- will keep their same rates from last year, other students will see an increase in their living costs on campus.
One change from the previous year is that all residential meal plans will cost the same rate. The difference will be how much money will be available through FLEX dollars.
The meal plan will be as follows:
- All-Access: $300 FLEX
- Central 16: $400 FLEX
- Central 12: $600 FLEX
The change was intended to reduce food waste and take price away from being a determining factor, Hill said. The housing costs noted here include the flat-rate meal plan.
For students living in the Standard Residence Hall -- a four-person suite -- and the MAC Scholarship Living Learning Community, there won’t be an increase to the cost of living. Students will pay $6,089 per semester.
However, there will be an increase in two-person suites, including Cobb, Troutman and Wheeler residence halls. The cost goes up $108 per semester, and totals $6,197.
Carey Residence Hall, which includes a two-person suite with full-size beds, also saw an increase of $140 and is now listed at $6,683 per semester.
The final halls to see an increase are in the premium dorms, including Campbell, Celani, Fabiano, Kesseler and Kulhavi residence halls. Students will now be paying $7,171 per semester, which is a $173 increase.
Budget
The approved budget at Tuesday’s meeting will see 50.22% of its revenue from tuition costs. Residences and Auxiliary Services will account for 14.5%, meaning almost 64.72% will come from students’ costs.
Hill said these increases are on par with the other 15 public Michigan institutions.
According to Hill, around 22% of operating funds are supposed to come from the state appropriations. However, the state budget has not been finalized, so the exact numbers have yet to be determined.
After approval by the board, the 2024-25 budget is slated at more than $443 million in revenues.
The final line-item budget has not been publicly released. Central Michigan Life will further report the details of the fiscal plan as they are available.
