2009-2010 Tuition
Dear colleagues,
After much difficult discussion, and with the goal of balancing academic excellence and affordability as a guide, the university’s Board of Governors has approved an increase in tuition of 5.4 percent, to be bought down in the current year to 4.8 percent for Michigan-resident undergraduate students through the application of federal stimulus funding. Even with this increase our annual tuition is 12th among Michigan’s 15 public universities.
Throughout the current economic crisis and continuing shortfalls in state support, Wayne State has worked hard to maintain quality while preserving access. We have trimmed our expenditures by more than $50 million over the past several years, and will work with our Board to intensify efforts at fiscal restraint.
Studies have shown that the single greatest cause of tuition increases among America’s public institutions is a need to replace shrinking state appropriations. Over the past 12 years, Michigan ranks a dismal 49th among all states in increased support to higher education. Over the past five years, Michigan is dead last. Between 2002 and 2008, the state appropriation for Wayne State declined nearly $79 million when adjusted for inflation. No other Michigan university has suffered so drastic a reduction.
The Board and I are aware that in a recession, even families that are relatively secure economically may find it difficult to pay university costs. To ease some of this burden, Wayne State returns 27 cents of every dollar received in tuition to its students as financial aid. We recently doubled the amount of need-based financial aid for all freshmen and for most sophomores, juniors and seniors, and are allowing alumni or their spouses who have lost their jobs to take up to four classes at a 50 percent discount. The university also has launched an initiative called Aim Higher for Students that is designed to raise funds specifically for scholarships. Since January 1, the campaign has raised $800,000.
Only three of Michigan’s public universities – Wayne State, the University of Michigan and Michigan State University – have earned the Carnegie Foundation’s top ranking for research institutions. You may be justifiably proud of the educational opportunities Wayne State provides. And even in hard times, we make a great effort to protect and allocate our financial resources so as to maintain the high quality of the academic experience we offer you. But sometimes raising tuition is our only choice if we are to fulfill our obligations to you and our community. I am confident that I can count on your understanding and support for the tough decisions we have had to make as we try to balance diminishing state support and the need to be the very best university we can be.
Thank you.
Jay Noren
President