By WMBD-TV
NORMAL – Illinois State University Board of Trustees on Thursday approved differential tuition rates for several programs during a special meeting.
Beginning Fall 2024, the Mennonite College of Nursing, College of Business, cyber security and computer science will have a tuition increase. The newly approved College of Engineering will also have the same 15% increase once it opens its doors in Fall 2025. The 5-2 vote will only impact newly enrolled students.
Prior to Thursday’s meeting, ISU’s differential tuition rate had three separate conditions for differential tuition rates; complying with the “truth-in-tuition statue,” to in-state vs. out-of-state residency, and undergraduate vs. graduate status.
Before the approval of the rate increase for the five programs, a 5-2 vote passed a resolution changing a governing document regarding pricing guidelines. The amended version now has a bullet point that reads, “Differential tuition for a program may be charged upon approval by the Board of Trustees.”
Trustee Scott Jenkins voted against both resolutions for several reasons including equity and the impact on enrollment numbers.
“While I will be voting no, I want to make it clear that I have high confidence in the administration’s ability to administer this institution and to set tuition and to run its budget,” said Jenkins.
Trustee Secretary Dr. Robert Navarro also voted against both resolutions.
“I’m very concerned that when we approved the College of Engineering, this was not on the table as far as pricing for College of Engineering,” said Navarro. “We said we were going to make a very conscious effort to go out and recruit underrepresented students into that program. And I just don’t think differential tuition will do that.”
Before the vote to approve the resolution to implement the new rate for the selected programs, Chair Dr. Kathryn Bohn asked twice for a motion of approval before Trustee Darren Tillis made the motion and Trustee Dr. Lia Merminga seconded the motion.
“We have spent hours and hours and hours discussing this at length,” said Bohn. “This is not a resolution that we have taken lightly at all.”
It was a tough decision for Trustee Attorney Julie A. Jones. She said they do not want to lose their core value of providing an affordable education to Illinois students.
“Between our administrators, between our board, between our legislators, we have to find a way to do better,” she said. “We know that things cost more, we know that the cost of education has increased. But it is my desire that we don’t just continue to pass that burden onto the parents and the students.”
The programs were recommended based on four factors; field of study, demand, cost of instruction, and market value of the degree. The approval has the per credit hour rate increasing from $402.19 to $462.52 for the in-state rate and $804.38 to $925.04 for the out-of-state rate.
The next board of trustees meeting is Feb. 16 with the expectation of the strategic planning committee to present a plan for 2024 to 2029.
