U-M Regents Unanimously Approve Tuition Increase
ANN ARBOR (WWJ) - Tuition at the University of Michigan is going up for the coming school year but at a rate lower than the rate of inflation.
The U-M board of regents unanimously approved a 1.6 percent increase for in-state undergraduates - which amounts to about $210 a year.
Board Member Denise Ilitch told WWJ that she was pleased with efforts to try to keep costs down.
"I detest tuition increases," laughed Ilitch," and wish we never had to do them. But this particular year, in this budget, I feel very good about, because I think the university as a team and the regents have done a really fine job of doing the best we can given the situations that we face."
Although the vote was unanimous among the regents - board member Andrea Fischer Newman said it was a difficult decision.
"There's more things we can do on this campus to cut costs we ought to be doing them," said Fischer Newman, "there's more things the state can be doing to cut costs at universities."
Katie Bell a senior at U-M wonders when the increased costs for students will end and fears too many students are being economically squeezed out of a university education.
"We already pay a lot to go here, it's a great school but they keep raising tuition," she said, "how many people can actually afford to keep coming here?"
The board also approved a 2.5 percent increase in residence hall and undergraduate apartment room-and-board rates for next school year. That price hike is an increase of $250 a year.
Administrators say the extra money will help offset operating costs and continue funding major renovations of housing facilities, such as the renovation of West Quad that began in May and the improvements at South Quad that will be completed in August.
Tuition will also go up at U-M Dearborn and U-M Flint.
