MONMOUTH, Ore. – Western Oregon University’s Board of Trustees convened April 18th and 19th to consider and approve several items, including the Tuition & Fees for 2023-2024 Academic Year & Summer 2023.
The Tuition Advisory Committee, which includes students, staff, and faculty submitted a suggested tuition increase of 3.09% which was accepted by the president and presented to the Board of Trustees. The trustees approved the 3.09% increase to resident undergraduate tuition. Keeping non-resident tuition at the current rate brings the non-resident ratio in line with other Oregon Universities where the range is 2.6-3.2; non-resident tuition will be 3.2 times greater than resident tuition next year. Graduate tuition will also remain at the same rate as the previous year.
“We believe access to higher education should be as affordable as possible. Therefore, a small increase was necessary to provide quality services to our students,” said Board of Trustee Chair Betty Komp.
Chair Komp also noted that “Oregon ranks 45th in the nation for state support to higher education; enrollment declines and rising costs to maintain facilities and services means that tuition must also increase. The only way to avoid tuition increases is to have more state funding.”
Even though the increase of $6 per credit hour makes the price of a college degree more expensive, undergraduate tuition at Western Oregon University is still among the lowest in the state.
According to President Peters, “WOU continues to be one of the most affordable public universities in Oregon. It’s our responsibility as a university to facilitate student success while providing access to quality education. Even though we face the real possibility of reduced or stagnant funding from the state, we are making every effort to keep costs low for students.”
President Peters emphasized that regional universities like Western Oregon provide some of the best, most personalized education in the nation. “What we do here is special. Our students are not just numbers; they are the future leaders of Oregon and the world, and we always look for new and innovative ways to support them.”
Link to press release: https://today.wou.edu/2023/04/29/western-oregons-board-of-trustees-approve-tuition-fees-for-23-24-academic-year/
About Western Oregon University
Western Oregon University, founded in 1856 in Monmouth, is the state’s oldest public university. Serving about 4,000 students, WOU is a mid-sized, NCAA Division II institution with about 70% of the student population being from Oregon. A significant portion of attendees are members of under-represented groups, veterans, or non-traditional students. WOU is Oregon’s campus of choice for those seeking a transformative education in a supportive, student-centered learning community where classes are taught by faculty. Together we succeed.
