(The Beacon)
By Caitlin Yilek, Staff Writer -- yilek12@up.edu
This year, tuition was $32, 190. With the 4.5 percent tuition increase, students enrolled in the College of Arts and Sciences can expect to pay $33,640 next year – an increase of $1,450.
In addition to the 4.5 percent tuition increase, the professional tuition fee will increase from $35 to $50 per credit hour, a 43 percent increase.
According to Ransmeier, the increase of the professional fee is due to salary increases for the faculty in the professional schools.
The increase of the professional tuition fee is added to the 4.5 percent increase for students taking classes within any of the professional schools – the Pamplin School of Business Administration, the Donald P. Shiley School of Engineering, the School of Nursing and the School of Education.
"Say you are taking 15 credits each semester while enrolled in the School of Nursing," Ransmeier said, "This year you are paying $1,050 in professional fees, while next year you will be paying $1,500."
Because students in the professional schools have to pay $1,500 on top of the $1,450 from the general tuition's 4.5 percent increase, they will actually pay 5.6 percent more to attend UP next year.
"This percentage will be different depending on how many credits you are taking," Ransmeier said.
There will also be an increase in room and board. Bon Appétit is expected to raise menu prices by 1.8 percent, an increase attributed to rising food prices.
According to Ransmeier, students pay UP for room and board and then UP pays Bon Appétit for the meal plan.
Though students will see an increase in tuition, room and board and the professional tuition fee, UP has eliminated the summer registration fee, which is $50.
"Generally the University is not in favor of having fees," Ransmeier said. "We don't want to nickel and dime students with fees, so we dropped that one."
There will also be no increase in the $70 ASUP student government fee charged each semester.
-Caitlin Yilek
