On Friday, the Oregon State University (OSU) board of trustees unanimously approved tuition increases for the 2022-23 academic year.
This includes a 3.5% increase for returning undergraduates and a 4.5% increase for new undergraduates starting this fall.
OSU will also increase university-funded student financial aid by $11 million, bringing its total financial aid amount to $84 million. This represents an increase from $42 million in 2018-19.
The increases were presented by the university’s budget committee, made up of faculty, staff, students and OSU administrators, after months of research.
All tuition increases will apply to in-state residents and nonresident students of OSU Corvallis, OSU-Cascades, and those taking online courses through Ecampus.
Annual increases are maintained between 2% and 5%, as dictated by Board policy.
“Setting tuition fees is one of the most difficult and complex topics the board faces each year,” said Becky Johnson, interim president of OSU. “Tuition setting is done with great sensitivity and helps support student success and other academic initiatives, while taking into account state funding for higher education and anticipated inflation.
“We see the impact that tuition and fees are having on many students and their families, and in response the university will provide another significant increase in financial aid.”
The increases will mean an average of $360 more per year for Oregon resident undergraduates and $1,035 per year for nonresident undergraduates enrolled in or before the 2021 academic year. as well as $1,080 for non-resident students who entered OSU in the 2022 academic year.
New Oregon resident undergraduates will also see an average increase of $450, while new non-resident undergraduates will see an average increase of $1,395.
Undergraduate tuition for new students at OSU-Cascades will increase a little more because the tuition rate at Bend is equal to the tuition at the Corvallis campus.
There will be no tuition increase for resident graduate students and a 3.5% increase for non-resident graduate students.
Tuition fees for pharmacy and veterinary students at the Corvallis campus and physiotherapy students at OSU-Cascades will increase by 3.5%.
Fees will not increase for Professional Masters of Fine Arts, Counseling, and Teaching programs at OSU-Cascades.
The board heard that the university is working on creating an enhanced web-based tuition calculator to help new and continuing students get tuition information based on their year in school and of the particular educational program in which they are enrolled.
Student incidental fees will increase by 5.7% — an increase of $26.18 per term — at the Corvallis campus and $50 per term at OSU-Cascades.
Incidental fee rates are developed by student government committees and leaders of both OSU campuses and recommended to the university president. Mandatory construction and registration fees on both campuses will increase by up to 4.4%.
The board heard an update on the search for the next OSU president from Trustee Julie Manning, who chairs a search advisory committee made up of several trustees and students, faculty, staff , alumni, and OSU higher education stakeholders.
Manning said the position of president is generating strong interest among candidates and nominees nationwide.
“We see a field of highly qualified applicants and also a diverse field of applicants, which is an area of focus for the search committee,” Manning said.
In mid-April, the Search Advisory Committee plans to hold confidential selection interviews with applicants and in early May, the committee will submit a list of recommended semi-finalists to Kirk Schueler, Chairman of the Board.
Schueler will then share with the board his list of recommended semi-finalists for consideration by the board. Semi-finalist interviews will take place via Zoom in executive session in early May.
Manning said the board will invite the finalists to the Corvallis campus for public forums the week of May 23 and will arrange interviews with the finalists with the board.
She said the selection and announcement of a new chair is expected by June 3 and the new chair will begin work in early July.
Directors also heard an update on a committee that has been formed by the board to plan and carry out transition activities, including communication and engagement opportunities for the new chair.
In other matters, the board approved a 2023-25 biennial funding application to the state Higher Education Coordinating Commission.
The university is seeking $75 million in government-guaranteed bonds for a new $166 million research and education building on the Corvallis campus.
The 150,000 square foot Collaborative Innovation Complex is considered the cornerstone for advancing interdisciplinary team-based research in Oregon State.
The university is also seeking $45 million in government-guaranteed bonds for a new $60 million, 40,000 square foot health and recreation center at OSU-Cascades.
Trustees also approved an updated 10-year business forecast of university finances, investments and capital projects.
The 10-year forecast assumes steady growth in enrollment at OSU in recent years, continued success in obtaining research grants, and improvements in the finances of University Housing and Food Services and Intercollegiate Athletics. , both heavily impacted by the pandemic in 2020-21.
The forecast includes the university’s investments in researching carbon neutrality on OSU campuses as part of a plan being prepared by the university.
The board approved changes to the policy for investing public university funds, $5.3 million to reroof and improve roof insulation, heating and cooling, and seismic resilience of Milam Hall, and a $600,000 increase to update the Hatfield Marine Science Center’s research seawater system.
The board previously approved a $5 million budget for the project.
The board also heard an update regarding the university’s interpersonal and gender-based violence prevention and support services and programs.
Administrators learned that OSU expands primary prevention efforts; work with the Oregon Attorney General’s Sexual Assault Task Force to integrate current best practice prevention strategies into OSU programs; is working on the development of a peer education program; and will launch in-house training on the prevention of interpersonal and gender-based violence in 2023 for all new students.
The board also learned that the support services programs of OSU’s Survivor Advocacy Resource Center and the university’s gender-based and interpersonal violence prevention programs were merging, and that the number of advocates survivors at the resource center had increased from two defenders to four since last spring.
The council heard reports on the 2022 legislative session and what to expect in state government in 2023, as well as an update on the results of recent public opinion research and ancient.
Reports were also provided to the Board of Trustees by leaders of the OSU Faculty Senate, the OSU Foundation, and Oregon State University Student Associates.
On Thursday, three Board committees met.
The finance and administration committee heard a report on Oregon State’s investment strategy.
The Academic Strategies Committee heard reports on reviews of new and existing academic programs and ongoing professional accreditations; registration management and financial aid; and current undergraduate and graduate university programs.
The Executive and Audit Committee approved a progress report from the Office of Audit, Risk and Compliance and a report on information technology risk management.
Several students testified Friday during the public comment period and council testimony periods, and a member of the Corvallis community provided written testimony.
