Students at Missouri State University will likely see tuition fee increases in the 2024-25 school year.
The MSU Board of Governors on Wednesday, April 17 will consider a list of fee increases to many university services. The board is set to meet at 4 p.m. in a web conference.
Under the proposed increases, undergraduate tuition fees would increase about 4%, from $279 to $290 per credit hour for Missouri residents, and from $597 to $621 for out-of-state residents. About 85% of the university’s student body is comprised of in-state undergraduate students.
Graduate students would see a bigger increase of about 8%. Rates increase from $348 to $379 for in-state students and from $694 to $756.
The disparity between undergraduate and graduate increases reflects a balance between rising interest and an effort to remain affordable compared to Missouri’s other universities, said Matt Morris, vice president for administration and finance. Only one of Missouri’s 12 universities with graduate programs has graduate rates that are currently less expensive, he said.
“The larger increase is for how it’s a growing area at the university,” Morris said. “We feel we have tremendous value, but we also want to maintain our affordability, so there is a higher margin on that side.”
Service fees paid by every student would also go up, from $606 to $691 for seven or more credit hours, and from $303 to $346 for online-only students taking seven or more credit hours.
Room and board rates for students who live on campus would be capped at a 3% increase. Morris said residence halls have different prices based on their amenities, and that increases would vary between them.
The full list includes proposed increases that cover a variety of services, from parking permits to child development center fees, as well as tuition fee increases for students at Greenwood Laboratory School. A similar list of fee increases for the West Plains campus will also be discussed by the board.
The university over the last few years has worked to keep tuition increases manageable against higher inflation rates. Fees went up about 4.5% across the board for the 2023-24 school year.
Morris said other universities across the state are considering similar increases, and that they reflect the rising costs of goods and services.
“Whether it’s labor, student labor, improving facilities, creating hands-on experiences for our students on campus, supply cost increases,” Morris said. “All of those things certainly do create where we are seeing this inflationary increase.”
According to the current school year’s tuition rates, MSU ranks the seventh most-expensive among the 13 state universities that offer undergraduate instruction.
Morris said he anticipates MSU to finish in a similar position, once the other universities set their tuition rates.
“Maintaining our affordability is very important to us, and we feel like we are achieving that through this fee schedule,” Morris said.
2025-26 calendar up for discussion
In other business, the board will consider the calendar for the 2025-26 academic year.
Under the proposal, the first day of classes that year would be on Aug. 18, with finals set for Dec. 6-11 and commencement planned for Dec. 12. The spring semester would begin on Jan. 12, finals would run from May 9-14 and commencement held on May 15.
Thanksgiving vacation would run Nov. 22-30, and spring break would be set for March 14-22
According to board documentation, an academic calendar committee researches dates and coordinates with other area schools such as Ozarks Technical Community College and Springfield Public Schools before making a recommendation to the board.
