MSU tuition to go up again this fall

RJ Wolcott | Lansing State Journal

EAST LANSING - Another year and another increase in tuition for students at Michigan State University.

The increase came with Board of Trustees approval of the 2018 budget during their meeting Wednesday.

Trustees were unanimous in approving the budget, with several saying MSU is doing what it can to keep itself affordable despite state support lagging as compared with the rest of the Big Ten.

More on lsj.com:

Amid turmoil, 'trust is faltering' at Michigan State University

East Lansing will vote on an income tax

6 counties suddenly in market for medical examiner

Freshmen and sophomores will pay about $13, or 2.8%, more in tuition per credit hour this fall — about $195 more for a 15-credit schedule — with a total tuition bill equaling about $7,230 per semester. Juniors and seniors will pay nearly $20 more per credit hour in the fall, a 3.8% increase over last academic year. Juniors at MSU this fall can expect their semester’s tuition for a 15-credit schedule to cost about $8,145.

MSU trustees approved a 3.7% tuition increase last year for in-state freshmen and sophomores and a 3.9% increase for juniors and seniors.

In-state graduate students will see 4% higher tuition bill come fall, about $28 more per credit hour.

Non-resident students – those who come from outside Michigan – will pay between $50 and $55 more per credit hour, depending on their grade level.

MSU will increase its financial aid by $6.2 million in response to increased tuition, something it’s made a habit of doing in recent years.

“We’re very middle class and very proud of it,” MSU President Lou Anna Simon said, adding that part of MSU’s story involves serving Michigan students first. Simon said MSU has 13,000 more in-state students than any other college in the state.

In her budget presentation, Simon noted that MSU lags much of the Big Ten in support it receives from the state government. Among the Big Ten, Simon said MSU lags the average in per-pupil state funding by more than $3,500.

Simon announced a new Go Green, Go 15 initiative during her presentation – a program aimed at encouraging students to finish school in four years and thus reduce their debt upon graduating. As part of the program, freshmen who arrive in the fall of 2018 will pay the same rate of tuition as those who arrive this fall.

Several trustees praised MSU’s budgeting following Simon’s presentation.

“This reaffirms the land-grant values of Michigan State University,” Melanie Foster, who was first elected as a trustee in 2004, said.

Dianne Byrum, who was re-elected as a trustee in 2016, said she fully supported Go Green, Go 15, adding that completing a degree is the best way to ensure students can pay off their college debt.

Dan Kelly, who was elected in 2016, said he felt the administration worked hard to balance financial needs with serving Michigan students.

"The board unanimously felt that we wanted to make a commitment to Michigan students. I think the budget does that and that's why I'm supporting it."

Contact RJ Wolcott at (517) 377-1026 or rwolcott@lsj.com. Follow him on Twitter @wolcottr.