Changes to UW tuition, fees and other rates
Resident Undergrad tuition won't go up; Non-Resident tuition goes up to $341 per credit hour
by University of Wyoming
January 26, 2008
UW Resident Undergraduate Tuition won't change
Resident undergraduate students at the University of Wyoming will not have to pay increased tuition costs for the second consecutive year as a result of action taken on Friday, January 26th by the UW Board of Trustees.
In approving tuition costs for the 2008-2009 academic year, the trustees also voted increases of about 6 percent for resident graduate students, law students and pharmacy students, and an increase of about 6 percent for all non-resident students. Trustees also approved differential tuition rates for students in the College of Law and School of Pharmacy.
Vice President for Administration Phill Harris said Wyoming is in a good position to keep tuition increases at such a low rate because of the tremendous support from the governor and Wyoming State Legislature in recent years. Salary and benefits, capital outlay and one-time funds have been provided and UW's pressing technology needs have been funded.
However, operating budgets that are met by tuition, such as laboratory and office supplies, postage and phone costs continue to be eroded by inflation.
"Increases in tuition revenue can be used to mitigate the inflationary impact on support budgets and provide for a meaningful adjustment to this budget category," Harris reported. "It is essential that these budgets be adjusted on a regular basis to maintain operations."
Harris presented charts showing that Wyoming's resident undergraduate tuition ranks the lowest among 25 comparator institutions in the Western Undergraduate Exchange program.
Resident undergraduate tuition will remain at $94 per credit hour, for a total of $2,820 for the 2008-09 academic year. Graduate student tuition for residents was increased 6.1 percent from $164 to $174 per credit hour, for an academic year cost of $3,132.
The per-credit hour tuition for non-resident undergraduates increases from $322 this academic year to $341 per credit hour in 2008-09, an annual cost of $10,230, a 5.9 percent increase. Non resident graduate tuition for next year will increase from $470 to $498 per credit hour, for an annual cost of $8,964.
Trustees approved raising the resident tuition for students in the School of Pharmacy from $238 to $262 per credit hour, for an academic year total of $8,908. Non-resident pharmacy tuition will increase from $455 per credit hour to $532, for a total of $19,924 for the academic year. This increase includes a base increase plus differential tuition to cover 12 four-week rotations in an advanced pharmacy practice site, and for a new position to assist with student admissions, data management and continuing education.
Tuition for Wyoming residents attending law school will increase from $247 per credit hour this year to $288 for 2008-09, for an academic year cost of $8,928. The tuition for non-resident law students will increase from $553 to $643 per credit hour, for an academic year cost of $19,933. This includes an increase in the law tuition differential to achieve the College of Law's planning goals to build strength in natural resources and energy law, and to address issues raised in forthcoming accreditation reports.
UW Trustees Review Student Fee Increase
The University of Wyoming Board of Trustees reviewed a proposal that would increase mandatory fees for full-time students by 9.13 percent per semester for fiscal year 2009. Trustees are scheduled to vote on the proposed increases at their March 6-8 meeting.
Included in the proposal is a $9 increase for intercollegiate athletics -- the first spike to this fee since 2005-2006 -- plus a $6.70 increase for the Wyoming Union fee and a $6.08 increase for student services.
If approved, full-time students will pay $400.63 per semester next year, up from $367.10 this year. Part-time students will pay $189.13, a 7.25 percent increase from 2008.
The proposed fee increases will be used to "fund salary increases, maintain the employer contribution for health insurance premiums and fund a couple of program enhancements," said Phill Harris, UW's vice president for administration.
The athletic department earlier submitted a request to increase its fee from $56 to $64 per semester. The University Fee Committee, however, recommended an additional $1 to help support Western Thunder, the UW marching band, said Harris.
The proposed fee increase for the Wyoming Union will help fund the addition of two graduate assistants to help develop a marketing plan and to support additional programming within the Center for Volunteer Service, said Harris.
The proposed increase in the student services fee will help offset rising operational costs for the Associated Students of Wyoming (ASUW), Alcohol Wellness Alternatives, Research and Education (AWARE), Student Leadership and Civic Engagement (SLCE), student publications and the recycling, wellness and music and theatre programs.
The proposal also includes a rise in fees for student health ($84.75 to $92) and recreation ($50 to $54.50).
The ASUW on Dec. 3 enacted a resolution in support of the proposed fee increases.
Proposed increases to Room and Board Fees
Factors contributing to proposed small increases in housing and board costs were explained today (Friday) during a meeting of the University of Wyoming Board of Trustees in Cheyenne.
To cover projected rate expense hikes for Residence Life and Dining Services (RLDS) for fiscal year 2008-2009, room and board fees in the residence halls are proposed to increase by 5.9 percent and apartment rent by slightly more than 2 percent. Trustees are scheduled to vote on the proposal during their meeting scheduled March 6-8.
As an auxiliary department, RLDS is financially self-supporting and must generate revenues to support all expenses, Vice President for Administration Phill Harris explained. Room, board and rent are the three major revenue components of the RLDS budget, while the three major costs are salaries and benefits, utilities, and food costs.
The proposed rate increase also incorporates additional revenue that will be used to pay debt service for the planned renovations to White and Downey Halls. The latest fee increases include salary and benefit adjustments that reflect UW's request to bring staff to the 2009 market rate.
"It is necessary to increase room and board rates to generate the anticipated $375,000 needed to fund the RLDS increase for fiscal year 2009," Harris said.
To balance the revenues to account for these increased expenses, the proposal calls for residence hall room and board fees to increase by 5.9 percent, and apartment rent fees by 2.1 percent.
If approved, residence hall room charges beginning in the 2008-2009 academic year would range from $3,249 for a double room ($183 above this year's rates) to $5,014 for the best single room, (a $98 increase).
Monthly apartment rental rates would range from $507 (an $11 increase) for one bedroom at Summit View to $867 (no fee increase) for three bedrooms at River Village.
All meal plans would increase nearly 6 percent. Costs for the unlimited access plan would be $4,361 ($245 more than this year's rates), the 15 meals per week plan would be $3,742 (a $192 increase) and the 12 meals per week plan would be $3,418 (a $183 increase).
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