SVSU board approves tuition increase in response to state cuts

It's not a move any school wants to make, but in light of some tough cuts from the state level, Saginaw Valley State University's board of control approved a budget that included a tuition increase of 6.9 percent for in-state undergraduate students.

The decision came as a result of a state appropriation cut of 15 percent for Saginaw Valley State--that equals a reduction in funding of more than $4 million.

Under the spending plan, a Michigan undergraduate student taking 30 credits will pay $7,815 in tuition and mandatory fees for the upcoming academic year, up from $7,308 in 2010-11. Taking the increase into account, Saginaw Valley State's tuition remains below the rates charged by its peers during the past academic year.

"We take great pride in the history of tuition restraint we have demonstrated," says SVSU president Eric Gilbertson. "This budget will result in considerable penny-pinching."

The newly-approved budget includes an increase of approximately $800,000 in University-funded scholarships and financial aid, bringing the total to about $10.5 million.

Writer: Sam Eggleston
Source: Eric Gilbertson, SVSU