Regents OK increases for 2005-2006 academic year

The Board of Regents of Washington State University approved tuition increases of 7 percent for undergraduates and 5 percent for most graduate students for the 2005-2006 academic year during its regularly scheduled meeting May 5 at the Pullman campus.

As a result of the increase, undergraduate resident students will pay $5,077 in tuition for the academic year while out-of-state undergraduates will pay $14,085. The rates for most graduate students will be $6,295 for residents and $15,949 for non-residents.

In its biennial budget, the Washington State Legislature approved annual increases of up to 7 percent for each of the next two years for Washington state resident undergraduate students at both WSU and the University of Washington. State law grants the board of regents authority to set rates in all other tuition categories.

WSU Budget Director Karl Boehmke presented the board with figures showing that WSU’s undergraduate tuition and fees for 2004-2005 was almost 14 percent below the average of its peer institutions. While many institutions have not yet set their tuition levels for the upcoming school year, Boehmke said another round of substantial increases by other colleges and universities is expected.

On the other hand, the tuition and fees that WSU charges its resident and non-resident graduate students is about equal to the level charged by its peer institutions, one reason behind the decision to raise graduate tuition by a lower rate.

The regents also adopted a schedule of different tuition increase levels for various professional programs. Boehmke said those tuition increases reflect the cost of these generally higher-cost programs and also, in some cases, tie the tuition charged by WSU more closely to that charged for similar programs at UW.

For the first time this year, a separate tuition rate will be charged for students entering a cohort-based Master of Business Administration program. That enhanced Pullman-based program will allow students to enter and complete the program together and is modeled on programs now in place at many of the nation’s top business schools, said Len Jessup, dean of the College of Business and Economics and acting vice president for university development.

The regents also adopted the recommendation that service and activity fee levels be set at $429 annually for the 2005-2006 academic year; that represents a 5 percent increase.

A complete listing of tuition levels follows:

2005-2006 Tuition Rates

Undergraduate Resident, $5,077, (7% increase)
Undergraduate Non-Resident, $14,085, (7% increase)
Undergraduate DDP Non-Resident, $7,617, (7% increase)
Graduate Resident, $6,295, (5% increase)
Graduate Non-Resident, $15,949, (5% increase)
Graduate DDP Non-Resident, $9,443, (5% increase)
MBA Resident-Pullman class of 2007 & beyond, $ 9,301, (new category)1
MBA Non-Resident-Pullman class of 2007 & beyond, $18,901, (new category)1
Master of Nursing Resident-class of 2007 & beyond, $  9,699, (38.2% increase)2
Master of Nursing Non-Res.-class of 2007 & beyond, $19,199, (10.2% increase)2
Master of Nursing Resident-continuing students, $  7,729, (10% increase)2
Master of Nursing Non-Res.-continuing students, $17,589, (1% increase)2
PharmD Resident-class of 2007 & beyond, $10,641, (10% increase)3
PharmD Non Resident-class of 2007 & beyond, $21,037, (10% increase)3
PharmD Resident-class of 2006, $  8,599, (5% increase)3
PharmD Non Resident-class of 2006, $18,591, (5% increase)3
DVM/WWAMI Resident, $13,347, (9% increase)4
DVM/WWAMI Non Resident, $33,575, (9% increase)4

2006-2007 Tuition Rates

Undergraduate Resident, $  5,432, (7% increase)
Undergraduate Non-Resident, $15,072, (7% increase)
Undergraduate DDP Non-Resident, $  8,149, (7% increase)
Graduate Resident, $  6,610, (5% increase)
Graduate Non-Resident, $16,748, (5% increase)
Graduate DDP Non-Resident, $  9,915, (5% increase)
MBA Resident-Pullman, $  9,952, (7% increase)1
MBA Non-Resident-Pullman, $20,224, (7% increase)1
Master of Nursing Resident-class of 2007 & beyond, $10,669 , (10% increase)2
Master of Nursing Non-Resident-class of 2007 & beyond, $21,119, (10% increase)2
Master of Nursing Resident-enrolled prior to fall 2005, $  8,497 , (10% increase)2
Master of Nursing Non-Resident-enrolled prior to fall 2005, $19,349, (10% increase)2

PharmD Resident, $11,706, (10% increase)3
PharmD Non Resident, $23,140, (10% increase)3
DVM/WWAMI Resident, $14,548 , (9% increase)4
DVM/WWAMI Non Resident, $36,597, (9% increase)4

NOTES:
1.  A new two-year cohort-based Master of Business program is being offered on the Pullman campus beginning fall 2005. Students entering this program this fall (the class of 2007) will pay a new MBA tuition rate. The higher rate will help fund program enhancements. Students enrolled in the MBA programs at WSU Tri-Cities and WSU Vancouver, as well as students completing the traditional MBA program in Pullman, will continue to pay the regular graduate-student tuition rate.

2.  The tuition rate for the Master of Nursing program is being increased substantially to support this high cost, high demand program. Students already enrolled in the program during the 2004-2005 academic year will pay a lower transitional tuition rate as they complete their program. All nursing graduate students beginning the program in fall 2005 or later (class of 2007 and beyond) will be charged the new resident or non-resident tuition rates. The new Master of Nursing rates are the same as that of the University of Washington, Seattle.

3.  The PharmD tuition rate was established several years ago. Students graduating in 2006 or earlier were provided a transitional rate. Beginning with the 2006-2007 academic year, all PharmD students will be charged the same resident or non-resident tuition rates. The higher rates support quality improvements in the PharmD program. PharmD rates are similar to those at the University of Washington.

4.  Students in the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) program and the first-year human medicine program (WWAMI) are charged the same rate. The higher rate helps cover the high instructional costs of these medical programs. The rate increases are similar to those charged for medicine at the University of Washington. For WWAMI students, the rates listed include WSU tuition plus a $150-per-year fee to UW.