CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. — The Southeast Missouri State University Board of Regents today set tuition and fees for the 2019-2020 academic year.
The Board of Regents approved an $11.75 per credit hour increase in in-state undergraduate tuition and a $1 per credit hour increase in the maintenance and repair general fee, bringing the total increase to $12.75 per credit hour. In 2018, Student Government approved a three-year phased increase in the general fee to better support information technology, maintenance and repair, and student wellness. The $1 general fee increase approved today corresponds to the second year of the Student Government-recommended general fee increase and will assist in addressing deferred maintenance needs on campus identified in the recent University master plan.
Dr. Carlos Vargas, president of Southeast Missouri State University, said, “I am aware that the tuition and fee increase is higher than has been the case in the recent past. Unfortunately, the increase is necessary to ensure that we are able to continue providing the high-quality programs that our students have come to expect from Southeast.”
Student Government President Matt Rolwing, who also serves as representative to the University’s Budget Review Committee, said, “I really hate that it (tuition) has to go up, but I see the need” as Southeast faces enrollment challenges and needs to focus on maintaining a quality faculty and staff. Rolwing said Southeast cannot continue to provide quality services across campus without revenue enhancement.
Without additional revenues, Southeast is “laying down the dominoes” for a trickle-down effect in service to students, he said.
Justin Jacobs, Student Government treasurer, said, “Southeast really fights to be affordable.”
The tuition increase “in the long-term will sustain the University and the quality of education we receive,” he said.
“Without these increases, we become a stagnant university,” Jacobs said. “Even though it (tuition) is increasing, we are following what other universities are doing. It’s going to be beneficial to the overall student experience.”
Rolwing said he also supports the increase in the maintenance and repair general fee, particularly after Student Government heard a presentation from Kathy Mangels, vice president for finance and administration, that included photos of deteriorating infrastructure in Southeast’s utility tunnels.
“I think it was that point when the students really understood the need for these repairs,” he said.
Without the increase, he said, “How else are we going to be able to keep up with maintenance and repairs?”
Under the new fee schedule, Southeast’s per credit hour tuition rates beginning in fall 2019 are as follows:
• Missouri resident undergraduate: $260
• Non-resident undergraduate: $461
• Online only undergraduate: $300
• Resident graduate students: $331
• Non-resident graduate students: $584
• Online only-graduate: $365
Tuition and general fees for lower division courses at the regional campuses will increase $3 per credit hour, bringing that rate to $178 per credit hour, which is consistent with area community college rates.
In a related action, the Board also approved adding or modifying special course fees associated with six courses in chemistry and physics, removing course fees from five courses in computer science and transferring one course fee in management, all to take effect with the fall 2019 semester. These fees cover the cost of consumable supplies or expenses unique to a course.
The Regents also approved raising the program fees on high-cost academic programs, including business, nursing and computer science by $20 per credit hour, and on theatre and dance, communication disorders and mass media by $5 per credit hour.
In addition, the Regents approved new electronic course material fees for seven courses through the IncludEd program, changed the cost on seven of these courses and eliminated the course fees on another using these electronic course materials. One course in the IncludEd program has been re-numbered. IncludED provides students with a single sign-on to access the University’s learning management system (Moodle) and the electronic course materials directly from a publisher. These fees do not provide revenue to the University but eliminate the need for a student to buy a code for an e-text from the bookstore and ensures faculty members that all students will have access to course materials on the first day of class.