Wayne State University's Board of Governors voted today to increase tuition by 5.9 percent over last year. Faced with state appropriations that have continued a downward spiral over the last five years, university administrators said the increase was necessary to preserve Wayne State's academic excellence while still maintaining accessibility to students. They noted that Wayne State remains Michigan's best overall value in higher education, given that the increase is partly offset by Wayne State's disproportionately high contributions to financial aid.

"Any increase is difficult to bear, but we have tried to minimize the impact to our students, and it is estimated that this increase will result in Wayne State having the second lowest dollar increase per credit hour of any public university in the state," said Nancy Barrett, provost and senior vice president for academic affairs. "If you combine this relatively modest increase with the strong financial aid available, a Wayne State education remains a superior value." The university puts 27 cents out of every tuition dollar into financial aid, one of the highest proportions among Michigan's public universities.

Barrett added that, since 2003, the university has made deep budget cuts in operating costs campus-wide to make up for the decline in state funds over that time period.

According to Wayne State University Board of Governors Chair Eugene Driker, Wayne State has historically proven its commitment to a diverse student body by creating access to affordable, academically excellent higher education. The tuition increase makes it possible for Wayne State to continue its fulfillment of that critically important mission, Driker said.

"The last thing we want to do is increase tuition, but it is our only choice," he noted. "We are required by law to balance our budget - in terms of expenditures and revenue - while preserving our top educational services and meeting the university's most basic operational requirements. In spite of this daunting challenge, we remain committed to acting in the best interests of our students."

Nationally, since 1998, average state allocations for higher education have risen by about 63 percent. Michigan, however, has increased its higher education budget appropriations at a rate of only about 16 percent during that same time period.

Under this tuition plan, in FY 2009 a Michigan resident freshman will pay $239.50 per credit hour, compared to $226.10 per credit hour last year, an increase of $13.40.

For further information visit: http://wsu.wayne.edu/tuition/index.php

Wayne State University is a premier institution of higher education offering more than 350 academic programs through 11 schools and colleges to nearly 33,000 students.