KALAMAZOO —

Returning Western Michigan University undergraduate students will see a 7.4 percent increase in tuition this fall, the highest hike of any of the state’s 15 public universities.

Acting on the

, the WMU Board of Trustees set tuition and fee rates for the 2010-11 school year.

The tuition increase means a full-time, in-state freshman or sophomore will pay $9,006 in tuition and required fees this coming school year, up from $8,382 last year.

A full-time, in-state junior or senior will pay $9,864 for classes, up from $9184 last year.

Western’s graduate student tuition for Michigan residents was set at $429.32 per credit hour, a 6.9 percent increase.

Also this morning, the board approved a $343.2 million budget for 2010-11, up from $323.9 million in 2009-10.

Contact Paula M. Davis at

or 269-388-8583.