Rogers State University will not raise tuition this year but has accepted the recommendation of its student governing body to increase the facilities fee to help pay for campus improvements.
The Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education allocated $14 million in state-appropriated funds to RSU for the upcoming school year, an increase of 14.43 percent. The increase in state support will allow the university to avoid raising tuition, keeping costs down for students, said RSU President Dr. Joe Wiley.
“During our budgeting process this year, one of our primary objectives was to keep the cost of an RSU education as affordable as possible for our students,” Wiley said. “We believe we have met this objective while preserving the high quality of our academic programs.”
RSU will increase its facilities fee by $7 to $14.30 per credit hour, a decision that was recommended by its students. The RSU Student Government Association unanimously approved a resolution on April 20 asking the RSU administration to increase its facilities fee by no more than $10 to pay for improvements to existing campus buildings and meet the rising costs associated with new construction. University administrators determined they could pay for the improvements with an increase of $7. The revised fee, which will go into effect this fall, was approved Wednesday by the University of Oklahoma Board of Regents, the governing board for RSU.
“The student governing body recognizes the need for improved facilities at RSU,” said Greg Hope, president of the RSU Student Government Association. “By passing this resolution, we are taking responsibility to help pay for improved facilities and a better college experience.”
The fee increase will bring the total cost of RSU tuition and fees to $118 per credit hour, one of the lowest rates in the state.
In addition, the university will increase the service fee for its online classes from $55 to $80 per credit hour. The additional revenue generated by the fee increase will provide upgrades to the online course delivery system, faculty training on new course development software and enhanced technical support for online students.
Fall classes begin at RSU on August 17. For more information, call (918) 343-7546 or 1-800-256-7511.