COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Ohio State University’s Board of Trustees has unanimously passed an increase in the price of tuition for the incoming freshman class during a meeting on Friday.
The 3% increase raises the tuition for Ohio residents to $12,859 — a $374 change in price. Students who don’t live in Ohio will see a 5.2%, or $1,269, price increase.
Housing and dining costs for those students will also increase by 3%.
Undergraduates who are returning to campus will not see their tuition increase because of the Ohio State Tuition Guarantee, an initiative from the university that freezes tuition costs for each cohort of students.
With Friday's approval, the incoming freshman class will be locked into that price for four years because of the university’s tuition guarantee.
The board of trustees also approved a 3.8% tuition increase for graduate students who live in Ohio and a 4.2% increase for graduate students who live outside of the state. This equates to a $500 price change for those in Ohio and a $1,629 change for those out of state.
You can read more about the tuition increase proposal here.
The increase in tuition at The Ohio State University has mixed reviews among prospective and current students.
One mother on campus told 10TV's Tara Jabour that college tuition is out of hand and "way too expensive." She said it is unrealistic to keep increasing costs.
“They are going to school for four years, some five, then, they come out of school with so much debt. When they start working in the real world it takes a long time to pay it off,” she said.
Isabelle Crum, who is a current student at the university, agrees. She said she picked up an extra job working on campus and believes she pays more than enough for her education.
“I definitely think the cost of going to school is more than enough. Considering the fact that I’m an Ohio resident so I pay for in-state tuition and I have scholarships,” said Crum.
The university said they did not have a tuition increase from 2013 to 2017. They stated that inflationary costs have impacted commodities and labor leading to an increase.
While many might disagree with the increase, 10TV also spoke to people who understand why the university has to raise tuition.
“Public education is underfunded. In many states we have seen that happen over the past several decades,” said Benjamin Houtlon, parent of a potential student.
But, he said he wants to ensure the money is going to the right place.
“It’s critical that institutions take care of where the tuition goes. And ensure it is going to support the students,” he said.
Karen Morrow said the increase isn’t as bad as her daughter going to a private school.
“I don’t have a problem with it because relatively speaking this is much more cost-effective than other schools she has looked at."
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