Wayne State University hikes tuition by 3.75% for next year

David Jesse | Detroit Free Press

Show Caption Hide Caption Free tuition from University of Michigan? It's happening The University of Michigan will offer free tuition to in-state students whose families make under $65,000 a year.

He knew it was coming, so when Matt Williams heard that tuition would go up 3.75% for next year, the third-year Wayne State University student didn't do much more than sigh.

"I guess the best you hope is that's it not way high," Williams, 21, of Ecorse said while taking a break from his summer job, cutting grass with a landscape company. "That doesn't sound horrible — I'd rather not have any increase though, but there's no way that's ever going to happen."

The total annual tuition and fees for an in-state resident, lower-division undergraduate taking 30 credit hours (15 credit hours per semester) will be $12,728.50.

The Wayne State Board of Governor unanimously approved the increase Friday during their board meeting. It keeps the university under the tuition increase cap and keeps the Detroit school eligible for performance-based funding from the state.

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“In recent years, we have worked hard to identify new efficiencies and ways to streamline our operations to try and avoid or minimize tuition increases," Wayne State President M. Roy Wilson said in a statement. "We have cut millions of dollars from operations over the past decade and are currently in the process of changing our budgeting process and financial systems to build in even greater discipline and accountability."

Wayne State's increase came in the same ballpark as Michigan State's increase. In-state freshmen and sophomores at MSU will pay 3.7% higher tuition this fall compared to last year, or about $250 per semester assuming 15 credits. Juniors and seniors from Michigan face a 3.9% increase, or about $264 per 15-credit semester.

At Oakland University, tuition is going up 3.74%, while Central Michigan University's Board of Trustees approved a 2.5% increase in April.

At the University of Michigan, in-state undergraduate tuition will increase by 2.9% to $14,826 for the most common lower-division rate. However, U-M also announced it would cover the entire cost of tuition for any student whose family makes less than $65,000 a year.

Other Wayne State students also seemed resigned to the increase.

"The only good thing about it is it happens in June, so you've got the rest of the summer to work a few more hours and make some more money," said fourth-year student Erika Washington, 22, of Detroit. "It's just the way it goes — it's always going up."

Contact David Jesse: 313-222-8851 or djesse@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter: @reporterdavidj