Consistent with last year’s tuition hike, the Kansas Board of Regents approved today another increase for colleges in Kansas – and Emporia State students will see the highest percentage increase when they pay for school this fall.

ESU’s undergraduate tuition and fees will increase by $160, or 6.5 percent – the highest percentage raise among the six state universities – making tuition $2,636 per semester for the 2012-2013 academic year, according to a press release sent to The Bulletin by Vanessa Lamoreaux, associate director of communications for KBOR. Last year the board approved a 6.8 percent increase for ESU.

But graduate students can expect an even bigger increase. The regents approved a $438, or 15.2 percent, tuition raise, bumping the cost up to $3,324 per semester for ESU’s graduate school.

“The tuition and fees approved today are funding the basics of operating an educational institution, like heating and cooling, healthcare costs, and retaining quality faculty members,” said Ed McKechnie, KBOR chair, in the press release.  “As the state’s contribution to the state universities has remained flat for base operating costs, students and their families shoulder more of the costs of obtaining a high quality education.

“The Board and the state universities are committed to excellence, students and their families expect excellence, and employers require excellence when they hire a graduate,” McKechnie said. “Ensuring educational excellence requires continuous investments in the foundation of our institutions.”

Kevin Johnson, Faculty Senate president, told The Bulletin in April that half of the increase will be used pay utility bills, health plan costs and other mandatory expenses. The other half will go to a tuition assistance plan and a 1 percent pay raise for all ESU employees, depending on enrollment figures in fall.

To view increases for the other regents universities, go to http://www.kansasregents.org/resources/PDF/1965-2013Tuition&Fees-Publication.pdf

Kenzie Templeton