Curators approve tuition increase

The UM system Board of Curators unanimously approved a five percent tuition increase at its meeting on March 24.

By Jedd Rosche

Published April 7, 2006

The UM system Board of Curators unanimously approved a 5 percent tuition increase at its March 24 meeting.

The tuition increase would raise the price of a 15-credit-hour semester at MU to $6,819 from $6,495.

The increase was less than the 6 percent increase predicted by the UM system in January.

At the meeting, Nikki Krawitz, vice president for finance and administration, said cheaper-than-expected mandatory expenses allowed the university to recommend a smaller tuition increase.

"At our last meeting, we were looking at our other revenue sources and the cost of employee benefits were higher than expected," Krawitz said at the meeting.

Krawitz said newer figures indicated that the annual cost of employee benefits would be approximately $14.7 million, or 7 percent lower than the $15.8 million the university predicted in January.

Board President Angela Bennett said the plan approved last month was the best option.

"However, given the current economic status of the state, we had no choice but to raise the tuition rate," Bennett said.

Maria Curtis, the student representative to the Board of Curators, said given state support, a tuition increase of 5 percent was understandable.

"We are in a position where we have to raise tuition more than the rate of inflation because of decreased state support," Curtis said. "Until the population of the state realizes this, we won't be able to solve the problem."

President Elson Floyd introduced the new plan in a news release the week before the board meeting in Rolla.

"We are as comfortable as we can be with a 5 percent increase," Floyd said in Rolla. "That is the low range of possible increases."