Regents to consider 16 percent tuition hike

May 26, 2011

By Communications staff, Washington State University

PULLMAN, Wash. The Board of Regents of Washington State University will be asked to consider a 16 percent tuition increase for in-state undergraduate students for the 2011-12 academic year when the board holds a special meeting early next month.

The tuition increase, which was the amount recommended by the Legislature in passing the state budget earlier this week, will raise the annual tuition paid by a typical in-state undergraduate student to $9,374.

While expressing concern about the impact of the tuition increase on students, WSU President Elson S. Floyd said it is necessary to protect programs and prevent even deeper cuts to the university’s budget.

“Unfortunately, to maintain our programs in the face of these budget cuts, we do not have any other option. Even with the revenue from this increase, and with the expectation that we will admit the largest freshman class in our history in the fall, our university will be operating with fewer dollars in the upcoming biennium than we did in 2009-2011,” Floyd wrote in a column posted on-line.

The complete column can be read at http://president.wsu.edu/blog/perspectives/?p=203 .

The budget, which was passed by the Legislature and now awaits the governor’s signature, reduces WSU’s budgeted state appropriation by about $108 million over the 2011-13 biennium. That represents a 26 percent reduction in WSU’s current maintenance budget level and will mean that, over four years, the university will have experienced a net state appropriated budget reduction of 52 percent, or $231 million.

A special regents meeting will be scheduled for June 6 to consider the tuition recommendation. In the meantime, the university has posted a link at http://budget.wsu.edu/tuition-comments/ to provide an opportunity for feedback.

A list of the tuition recommendations follows.

2011-2012 Proposed Tuition Rates	Annual Full-time rate
Undergraduate Resident Undergraduate Non-Resident Undergraduate DDP Non-Resident	$9,374 $20,652 $14,058	(16% increase) (8% increase) 16% increase)
Graduate Resident Graduate Non-Resident Graduate DDP Non-Resident	$9,676 $22,830 $14,514	(16% increase) (8% increase) (16% increase)
Master of Nursing Resident¹ Master of Nursing Non-Resident¹	$15,958 $30,720	(8% increase) (5% increase)
PharmD Resident PharmD Non-Resident	$18,510 $35,234	(8% increase) 4% increase)
DVM Resident DVM Non-Resident	$20,402 $50,366	(7% increase) (5% increase)
WWAMI Resident WWAMI Non-Resident	Per MOU² Per MOU²
Professional Masters Programs Resident Professional Masters Programs Non-Resident	TBD TBD

Notes:
¹Students continually enrolled in the Masters of Nursing program since 2004‐2005 academic year pay a lower transitional rate as they complete their programs. For 2011-12 annual building + operating rates are $12,712 for resident students and $28,140 for non‐resident students.

²Under a memorandum of understanding between WSU and UW, students attending the first year of medical school in Seattle, Pullman, or Spokane will pay the same total tuition and enrollment fees. These rates are set by the University of Washington for the medical school. Other mandatory fees are assessed based on the campus where the student is enrolled.