Students taking classes at one of the four University of Missouri campuses will pay higher tuition this fall and a new fee structure next year.
The University of Missouri Board of Curators approved a 4.5% tuition increase for undergraduate Missouri residents earlier this month. It increases undergraduate resident tuition by $14.50 per credit hour or approximately $217.50 a semester for a student taking 15 credit hours at the Columbia campus, according to a university news release. The University of Missouri-Kansas City will increase tuition by $14 per credit hour, the Missouri University of Science and Technology will increase its rate by $14.30 per credit hour, and the University of Missouri-St. Louis will increase $17.10 per credit hour.
The tuition fee for the 2021-22 academic year was $321.30 per credit hour at the Columbia campus, $313.90 at Kansas City, $379 at St. Louis and $332 at Rolla, the Missouri University of Science and Technology.
“Our universities will remain among the most affordable and best value of our peer institutions,” Darryl Chatman, chairman of the UM Board of Curators, said. “These increases ensure we are able to deliver the standard of excellence in education our students expect while remaining competitive.”
When the university presented its 10-year, $1.5 billion strategic plan last year for facility improvements, salary increases and adding faculty and staff, it estimated $300 million would be raised from increased tuition. New revenue sources and the university’s academic medical center would provide the balance of the funding.
The Board also approved a new tuition structure effective fall of 2023, but tuition rates for the new model won’t be determined until next year. The new tuition plan consolidates 64 separate supplemental course fees into three to six tuition rates for undergraduates based on the program of study.
“By modernizing our tuition structure, we will simplify students’ bills and make the cost of attendance more predictable,” Mun Choi, president of the University of Missouri system, said in a statement. “Our priority is student success, and this new structure will enable students to graduate sooner and with less debt.”
The Curators also announced the University of Missouri-Columbia and the Missouri University of Science and Technology would implement a flat tuition rate for full-time students taking 12 to 18 hours per semester. The new rate incentivizes students to take at least 15 hours each semester. The Curators state the new rate will provide students with a more cost-effective way of taking additional courses and help them graduate faster.
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