Western’s Board of Trustees approved tuition, fees and room and board increases for students entering the University in Fall 2004 at its March 5 meeting.

A tuition increase of 16 percent for new students only was adopted while maintaining the University’s cost guarantee program. Students who enter Western are guaranteed they will pay the same rate for tuition, fees and on-campus room and board for their four years of continuous enrollment. The Board approved a 7.5 percent increase in room and board rates and a fee rate hike of 6.96 percent for incoming students.

“While the University must offset the decline in state revenue through increases in tuition and operational fees for students, Western’s cost guarantee has resulted in our junior and senior students paying the lowest tuition of all students at Illinois public universities,” said WIU President Al Goldfarb.

Undergraduate students entering Western in Fall 2004 will pay $4,537 in annual tuition, based on 15 hours per semester at $151.25 per semester hour rate compared to the undergraduate rate of $130.50 per semester hour for students who entered in Fall 2003.  Students who entered Western in Fall 2002 pay $115.50 per semester hour while students who entered in Fall 2001 are charged $99.40 per semester hour.

For room and board the increase amounts to $402 more than the current rate for double occupancy and a $482 annual increase for single occupancy. The annual room and board rate for FY05 incoming students will be $5,768. The proposed student fee allocation for incoming WIU-Macomb students is an increase of $37.65 per semester for students with a 15-semester hour schedule.

Bids were awarded for remodeling of student rooms, lighting and electrical improvements throughout Bayliss Hall. Bid awards were made to general contractor Johnco Construction, Inc., Mackinaw, $930,700; electrical contractor Koener Electric, Bartonville, $384,340; and plumbing contractor Mechanical Services Inc., Galesburg, $3,301.

The Board endorsed the University’s Strategic Plan, approved the intellectual property guidelines, and completed first reading of revisions to employee benefits regulations regarding benefits for part-time administrative and faculty employees not covered by collective bargaining agreements.