University of Toledo raises room and board, grad tuition

5/13/2008

The University of Toledo Board of Trustees yesterday approved increases in room and board charges, and graduate tuition, while keeping its promise to the state to hold the line on undergraduate tuition and fees for a second year.

The biggest jump was a 14.39 percent tuition increase for new law students enrolling this fall semester or later, which will put UT more in line with other law schools in the state.

UT's law school had one of the lowest tuitions for in-state students, Scott Scarborough, vice president for finance and administration, told the board.

In keeping with the market rate for graduate and professional programs, current law students will see an increase of 6.4 percent for in-state students to a total cost of $8,163 for a full-time student.

It will be $8,775 for new law students who begin their studies this fall.

Out-of-state law students will have a 6.68 percent increase.

Medical students' tuition and fees are being increased 5.8 percent. Other graduate students will see a 5.38 percent increase if they're from Ohio and a 5.63 percent increase if they're from out of state.

The state asked all of Ohio's public colleges and universities to hold undergraduate tuition for two years in exchange for increased state support in the two-year budget approved in June.

Accordingly, UT's undergraduate tuition and fees will remain $7,926 a year for a full-time, in-state student and $16,738 a year for a full-time, out-of-state student.

All students who live on campus will have increased room rates from 3 percent to 6 percent, based on the residence hall in which they live. The fees range from $78 to $199 per semester.

And the board approved a 6 percent increase for all meal plans.

Similarly, the Bowling Green State University Board of Trustees in March approved increasing room rates an average of 2.83 percent and meal plans an average of 4.73 percent, with increases varying according to room and meal options.

Other notable fee changes at UT include:

•A 15 percent increase in the pharmacy clerkship fee to help cover expenses of the rotation program that sends students throughout the state for experience.

•A 12.5 percent increase in the fee for distance-learning courses to help support the technology to keep the program up to date.

UT is continuing to work on its budget for the upcoming fiscal year. Mr. Scarborough gave the board an update on the process, which included universitywide reallocation discussions. Those meetings are complete and the administration has entered the "decision-making phase," he said.

Initial proposals have $10.6 million reallocated for initiatives in keeping with the university's strategic plan, while there are requests for $71 million.

Officials have until June 30 to sort out the details and have the budget approved by the trustees.

Also during the meeting, Provost Rosemary Haggett gave an update on what the university is calling "Re-engineering the undergraduate experience," which was proposed by UT President Dr. Lloyd Jacobs during his state of the university address last month.

What has been simply referred to as "new entity" since that speech will be known as the "University of Toledo Learning Collaborative," Ms. Haggett said.

That entity is a modification of what is now University College that will include orientation and first-year programs, and other student-centered initiatives. It also will serve students undecided about their majors and those who are conditionally admitted to UT.

Other changes include a voluntary system of accountability, an electronic portfolio to track students' academic experiences, and a common textbook for the first-year orientation program.

Ms. Haggett has been updating the board, faculty, and other interested parties as the university continues to solidify initiatives Dr. Jacobs proposed in his speech.