Western Michigan University has set tuition rates - at least tentatively - for the next academic year, in a budget that also calls for millions of dollars in cuts.
Tuition
Trustees agreed Wednesday to raise in-state undergraduate tuition by 4.3 percent. According to the Board, newly enrolled undergrads from Michigan would spend a little more than $13,000 in tuition and fees to attend Western for 2019-2020.
However, lawmakers have yet to pass a state budget, which also means they haven’t set the state’s tuition restraint. That’s a cap on tuition increases that public colleges and universities must follow to qualify for certain funds.
“We believe that what we’re seeing out of Lansing would allow us for the 4.3 percent,” said Tony Proudfoot, Western’s Vice President for Marketing and Strategic Communication.
The university says it will revisit the issue if lawmakers set a lower cap on tuition.
Cuts
The Trustees also say the school needs to spend about $10 million less to balance the books for the next fiscal year. On Wednesday they approved a 2019-2020 budget that will come to about $423 million after cuts.
“Various entities across campus have been asked to contain costs and what those specifics will look like, we’ll see moving forward,” WMU spokesperson Paula Davis said.
