For Michigan residents, Ferris’ tuition prices have increased for what is at least the tenth consecutive
year.
This year’s tuition increase of up to $29 per credit hour for freshmen and sophomores marks the biggest tuition increase in at least the past 10 years. It also signifies a 45 percent increase in tuition over the last decade, in which tuition has risen from $300 per credit hour to $435 per credit hour.
Undergraduate tuition is now $435 per credit hour for all students, including out-of state students. For Michigan residents, the increase will cost freshmen and sophomores an additional $29 per credit hour ($435 per 15 credit hours) and an additional $16 for juniors and seniors ($240 per 15 credit hours), which totals about 6.9 and 3.7 percent increases, respectively.
For out-of-state and Canadian students, the flat-rate tuition significantly decreases. For freshmen and sophomores, tuition will drop by $174 ($2,610 per 15 credit hours), compared to the $609 per credit hour charge during the 2017-18 academic year. Juniors and seniors will see a decrease of $194 per credit hour ($2,910 per 15 credit hours).
These changes total around 33.3 and 36.5 percent decreases, respectively. While on the surface the decrease for out of-state and Canadian students seems large, the decrease will not actually change what out-of-state students pay for tuition, according to Director of Budgetary Planning and Analysis Sally DePew.
“The change to assess in-state tuition to U. S. non-resident and Canadian students was based on the fact that the University had provided a tuition discount to U. S. non-resident and Canadian students which awarded the difference between in-state and non-resident tuition,” DePew said. “Students were assessed the non-resident tuition rate and then received the discount to bring their cost to in-state rates. That practice was confusing for students and families so the change was made.”
Enrollment numbers for the 2018-19 academic year have not yet been released, but Ferris has seen large decreases in students over the last two years. According to DePew, decreased enrollment has not impacted tuition rates.
“The decline has no influence on tuition decisions. It is University practice that when enrollment declines, the budget is reduced to offset that decline. Ferris’ tuition increase was in line with most Michigan public universities and remains below the average rate for fiscal year 2019,” DePew said “For fiscal year 2019, 10 universities increased tuition by a larger dollar amount than Ferris so we will remain competitive.”
Despite many universities raising tuition by more than Ferris, many students are still upset by another year of tuition increases.
“It’s too bad I wasn’t in college ten years ago because I would have loved getting to pay $100 less per credit hour,” Ferris medical laboratory science senior Kathleen Gray said. “As a college student paying for school with little help from the family, it is a struggle knowing that tuition rates are increasing again. Before attending Ferris in the fall of 2017, I was at community college and the tuition here is a lot more affordable. Now I am having to take out loans and look for more scholarships in order to pay for school. That’s never fun.”
CORRECTION: The numbers regarding rate of tuition increase over the last decade and the 2018-19 tuition rate are not up to date. The rate of increase was reported as 45 percent over the last decade, that percentage actually represents an increase over the past 11 years. The 10-year increase is 37.6 percent for juniors and seniors, and 33.2 percent for freshmen and sophomores. The tuition rate, reported as $435 per credit hour for all students is actually $435 per credit hour for juniors and seniors, and $421 per credit hour for freshmen and sophomores. These changes equal a $15 increase per credit hour for freshmen and sophomores, not $29, as previously reported.