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WVU to Increase Tuition 5 Percent after $9M Cut

Woodburn Hall, WVU

West Virginia University is joining other colleges and universities in the state that are raising tuition to deal with state budget cuts.

WVU’s Board of Governors voted Thursday to increase tuition for both in- and out-of-state students by about 5 percent in the upcoming 2017-2018 school year.

For main campus resident undergraduate students, tuition will increase by about 4.80 percent, and for non-resident undergraduate students by 5.02 percent.

Students living on campus will also see a hike in housing and dining fees of 3.5 percent.

Students at WVU’s sister campuses will also be subjected to higher tuition and fees. Potomac State College in Mineral County will see a raise by about 3.23 percent and WVU’s new Beckley campus will also experience a 4.88 percent hike.

The tuition increases are the result of state budget cuts in the upcoming fiscal year. WVU took a nearly $9 million hit, which university officials say is $3 million more than they had anticipated.

WVU President Gordon Gee says the cutes to higher education send the wrong message to West Virginians.

“This is a budget that does not believe in the people of West Virginia,” he said Thursday after the BOG meeting.

“This is a budget that says we don’t believe in you so we’re going to do whatever we have to do to get a budget, but our belief in you and your possibilities and your higher angels that you represent, we just will not invest in it. That is not in the best interest for this state.”

WVU was joined by Marshall and West Virginia State Universities who also voted to increase tuition this week.

Marshall University is increasing tuition by 9 percent, but will leave on campus housing costs the same. West Virginia State University in Institute voted to also increase their tuition by about 5 percent Wednesday.