Even though it will mean making other difficult decisions, the board of governors at Missouri Southern State University took the right step by tamping down as much as possible next year’s tuition increase.
On Friday, the board agreed to raise the cost by only $6.48 per credit hour beginning in the fall. That’s an increase of not quite 4 percent. The cost of a credit hour at MSSU will go to $169.48.
State legislators had previously put a cap on tuition increases for Missouri colleges and universities, but last year Southern and a number of other schools requested and were granted a waiver. The result was a $20 jump, going from $143 to $163 per credit hour. That kind of increase — nearly 14 percent — is unsustainable year after year.
Southern is expecting a cut of $1.7 million this year in state appropriations, or nearly 8 percent, and it has to do something to make up for the loss. The fallout will come elsewhere, including no across-the-board salary increases next year, and possibly job cuts.
While no one wants to see that, either, it’s the lesser of two evils. In the end, Southern is playing to its base: Wages in Southwest Missouri remain well below the national average, and our higher education costs have to reflect that if people are going to be able to get a degree close to home.
Southern also is playing to its strength: Offering a great education at a low cost. We’re proud of the fact that Southern is, and will remain, the best deal in the state, and we applaud the board for keeping its focus on that as the highest priority.
Opinion
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Discussion
Our View: MSSU plays to its strength
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