Tuition increases? Decisions coming soon at University of Michigan and Eastern Michigan University
For thousands of students planning to attend the University of Michigan and Eastern Michigan University next school year, it’s a question that’s top of mind. How much will they have to pay in tuition?
At both schools, the answer will come within days.
Students study on the University of Michigan campus in this file photo. Soon they will know how much they'll be paying in tuition for next year.
At U-M, tuition rates for next fall will be revealed Thursday when regents meet to approve the budget as well as to consider several construction projects and other matters.
EMU regents will approve that school’s operating budget and tuition June 21.
Officials at neither school are hinting what the rates may be, but increases are likely. Universities have to absorb a 15 percent cut in their appropriation from the state for next year.
At U-M that’s a hit of $47.5 million, about 3 percent of last year’s general fund operating budget of $1.55 billion. At EMU, it amounts to $11.4 million, about a 4 percent whack to that school’s $280 million budget.
Michigan public universities have to keep any tuition hike under 7.1 percent or face additional sanctions from the state.
Board of regents meetings
- University of Michigan regents will meet at 3 p.m. Thursday in the Regents' Room of the Fleming Administration Building
- Eastern Michigan University regents will meet a 4 p.m. in 201 Welch Hall.
Universities that already have set tuition for next year have kept their rates within that guideline, with Oakland University approving a 7 percent increase. Four others - Saginaw Valley State, Lake Superior State, Western Michigan and Michigan Technological universities - all approvied increases between 6.6 and 6.95 percent.
Last year, U-M approved a 1.5 percent increase in tuition, pushing the one-year bill for a freshman taking 30 credit hours in the School of Literature, Science and the Arts to about $11,800.
Eastern Michigan University kept its tuition, and room and board costs flat last year. EMU undergraduate students this year paid about $8,400 in tuition and fees.
EMU President Susan Martin has previously said the university faces a $23 million to $24 million budget shortfall for the next fiscal year, based on the cut in the state appropriation and a projected $12 million increase in expenses.
EMU announced several cost-cutting measures. Administrators will not be getting pay raises, and Martin says the university plans to cut at least 70 positions, requiring about 50 layoffs. The university has also reduced staff in previous years, Martin has said. Martin asked unions to forgo already negotiated raises for next year, but they rejected her request.
Earlier this year, University of Michigan President Mary Sue Coleman told state legislators that the university has cut $130 million from its budget in the past six years and plans to take another $120 million out by 2017.
Meanwhile, both universities have already set increases in housing costs for next year.
EMU announced in April that housing, room and board rates would go up an average of 2.15 percent.
The University of Michigan Board of Regents approved a 3 percent increase in room and board rates for residence halls and a 1 percent increase for University Housing apartment rentals for the 2011-12 school year.
Students are bracing for the decisions on tuition.
University of Michigan junior Jamie Lee, who lives in Ann Arbor with her young son, said she has enough scholarships and grants to cover most of the cost of tuition, but any increase eats away at the amount she has left over to pay housing costs. She said she already has taken out $16,000 in student loans and probably will have to go deeper into debt next year.
Whatever the regents decide about tuition, incoming U-M freshman Maaz Mushtaq said it won’t change his educational plans.
“I’m worried about it,” said the East Lansing resident, who was on campus Tuesday for orientation, “but it’s not going to stop me from graduating.”
Comments
Lovaduck
Thu, Jun 16, 2011 : 1:19 a.m.
You'all went out an voted for Rick Snyder. Now don't blame the faculty at EMU for needing their paltry raise to pay for health care. If you wanted more appropriations for colleges, keeping tuition low, vote for the Democrats who try to preserve higher education and see its value to Michigan. Yes, Snyder won't raise taxes, but you'll pay and pay for everything else.
Rob Pollard
Wed, Jun 15, 2011 : 6:12 p.m.
I agree with the point about community colleges. While I respect Eastern and the other directional schools, if you have not yet focused on what career path you are going to take and want to get some pre-reqs out of the way (e.g., English, Math), go to a CC. It is much more cost-effective for the first year or two and you'll get a solid education. Of course, CCs lost 4% of their funding in the recent budget go-round, so you can also expect their tuition to go up and their class offerings to be reduced. For example, 5.8% at Jackson CC and at LCC they are raising fees to cover cost of programs. <a href="http://www.mlive.com/news/jackson/index.ssf/2011/06/jackson_community_college_boar_6.html" rel='nofollow'>http://www.mlive.com/news/jackson/index.ssf/2011/06/jackson_community_college_boar_6.html</a> <a href="http://www.lansingstatejournal.com/article/20110614/NEWS06/106140323/LCC-raising-program-fees-move-slice-subsidies?odyssey=tab" rel='nofollow'>http://www.lansingstatejournal.com/article/20110614/NEWS06/106140323/LCC-raising-program-fees-move-slice-subsidies?odyssey=tab</a>|topnews|text|FRONTPAGE There's nowhere to run: Michigan has decided to invest less in public education, therefore it will cost students more. That's it.
WiseWoman
Wed, Jun 15, 2011 : 5:16 p.m.
Go to Washtenaw for two years and then transfer. The professors are all the same that you get at the universities anyway, only you actually get THEM teaching classes and not grad student TAs. MOre bang for your buck. If I had it to do over, I would definitely have taken more classes at WCC.
Edward R Murrow's Ghost
Wed, Jun 15, 2011 : 5:08 p.m.
The RepubliKan governor and the RepubliKan legislature just handed the state's universities a substantial cut to their appropriation. And we expected a different result? Welcome to Michiganistan Good Night and Good Luck
Knobby Kabushka
Wed, Jun 15, 2011 : 3:38 p.m.
Maybe if EMU had a better football/ basketball team they could get more tv money to help pay for things...
Ignatz
Wed, Jun 15, 2011 : 3:10 p.m.
There are many options out there for those who wish to go to a university. One of them is to enlist and serve your country. When you get out, you get substantial financial assistance from a grateful nation.
trespass
Wed, Jun 15, 2011 : 7:17 p.m.
Except that the UM will count any money you save in a military educational account as a "scholarship" and reduce your financial aid as a result. No private University does that and few public Universities do that, just UM.
trespass
Wed, Jun 15, 2011 : 2:44 p.m.
The average family income for a student at UM is $180,000 according to the Provost. Less than 4% have a family income of less than $50,000. The UM plans to increase out of state enrollment next year from 35% to 39% to make up about $16 million of the cut in state funding. The UM is a college for rich kids or those willing to go into long term debt. That will all get worse next year.
grye
Wed, Jun 15, 2011 : 4:55 p.m.
There are other excellent state universities in Michigan that are more affordable. Better yet, attend a community college for the first 2 years. This will amount to a substantial savings.
Mike
Wed, Jun 15, 2011 : 3:50 p.m.
The U of M is for the elite so get over it. Go to a different college that you can afford. U of M is the Harvard of the midwest. How's it feel to not be able to afford a public university anymore. I never thought we'd see this day but it's here and you'll need a $100K job after you graduate to pay off your loans. Everyone who goes to Michigan thinks they'll get one but they're going to be disappointed. Kind of like the housing bubble, sooner or later it will implode........
jrigglem
Wed, Jun 15, 2011 : 1:12 p.m.
EMU students can already count on the highest possible increase. The faculty cannot be without their precious raises for one year so they would rather cause the students, who are already in debt and working to make it through school, to dig deeper into their pockets. Causing them to dig deeper to get a degree, that in this economy, doesn't even guarantee a job. I would know that for a fact, I graduated from EMU 2 years ago, still haven't found a full time job, neither have many of my friends and fellow EMU alumni.
jrigglem
Thu, Jun 16, 2011 : 2:46 a.m.
Really can't afford to do an unpaid internship. What do you think I did with my time in school? I am not a 22 year old that partied it up and lived off mommy and daddy's dime. I am 30 and worked hard, just like any other respectable individual, I had to earn every dollar I ever had in school. Just because you paid for college out of pocket doesn't mean everyone can. I also don't expect things handed to me. I work hard, I have always worked hard. I am yet to reap a single benefit from hard work. I'm glad that you're ok with having to work harder and dig deeper to over that higher tuition. Is your employer going to give you a raise? I have looked for jobs outside of this area. But it also cost money to move. Money that I don't have, being unemployed!
Anthony
Wed, Jun 15, 2011 : 7:32 p.m.
johnnya2 and Rob Pollard are right; those were already negotiated raises. Don't you think they should be "guaranteed" those raises? They negotiated and worked hard for those raises. As for paying more for degrees and no job. That's life. You do not have to go into massive amounts of debt to pay for school. I am going into my fifth year of college and have less than$10K of college debt. Why? Because I pay out of pocket as often and as much as I can. I don't receive any help from my parents, but do it on my own. Is it hard? Very much so. Am I having the "college experience? Nope, but I will graduate with little debt and I already have multiple jobs lined up for graduation. Just because you take classes and graduate doesn't make you qualified to be HANDED a job. As johnnya2 said, intern somewhere, that's what I am doing now and it pays the bills and tuition. Not all young adults are lazy and demand everything be handed to them, including jobs. There are a few who work hard for what they have and it disgusts me that ANYONE would expect a job just because they've jumped through some academic hops. At times I am embarrassed to be considered a young adult because of the actions and demands of my peers. It is sickening.
grye
Wed, Jun 15, 2011 : 4:53 p.m.
There are plenty of jobs around the country and possibly outside of the country. Have you expanded your search beyond the limitations of AATA?
Rob Pollard
Wed, Jun 15, 2011 : 2:26 p.m.
Interesting. You blame the faculty for the tuition increase b/c they will not give up their already negotiated 2% raise. Forgoing this raise would save $3.2 million, but you do not say a word about the other $20 million (according to Pres. Martin's numbers) that still would have to be accounted for. Tuition is going up primarily b/c funding from the state has been cut. That has 4 times as much impact on the budget as the raise. Additionally, there other expenses that have nothing to do with faculty salaries/benefits that also have to be accounted for. I'm sorry you haven't found a full-time job, but even if the faculty gave up their raises, Martin still plans on cutting at least 50 jobs, so perhaps some sympathy (i.e., understanding) would serve you better than attacking people fortunate enough to still have jobs.
johnnya2
Wed, Jun 15, 2011 : 1:38 p.m.
Those "raises" were fairly negotiated and are not actually raises. They are keeping up with the extra amount that the U feels people should contribute to their health care plans. It is still a net loss in income for the unions. As for not fining a job, I would say that means you did not spend your time in school wisely. Have you offered to intern for a company? If your education was just to be a trade school for a job, I would say you went to the wrong place.
A2comments
Wed, Jun 15, 2011 : 10:47 a.m.
Spell check.... "jas"