Over the past couple of years, Kent State University officials have gradually increased tuition, and this year is no different. The university has instituted a 1.5 percent increase in the cost of tuition since the 2012-2013 academic year.

The rise in cost of tuition was implemented this year in order to fund extra financial aid that the university has already established for those needy students, said Gregg Floyd, senior vice president for Finance and Administration. These scholarships are open for all students to apply for, and are funded by the extra dollars generated by the tuition hike.

“These will be general scholarship dollars and will be available for those in financial need,” said Floyd. “[The scholarships and financial aid office] prioritize them in such a way…they balance need, academic capability, and so on and so forth.”

The rise of tuition costs depends on a student’s status as either in-state or out-of-state. For the out-of-state residents, tuition increased 0.8 percent since last year, according to information supplied by Linnea Stafford, Institutional Research Information Officer. This means that both in-state and out-of-state students are paying $144 more this year than students in their respective demographics last year, though out-of-state students have to pay nearly double the cost of tuition of what an in-state student pays.

During the past four years, a 3.5 percent increase in tuition had been implemented for in-state students, which resulted in a $1,252 increase in that span.

According to Floyd, the formal decision to raise the cost of tuition came in middle or late May, when the state budget was finished. Tuition increases were capped by the budget at two percent, which the university did not know about until that time.

In addition to the increase, the lowered credit cap threshold can now affect a student’s pocketbook. Last year, KSU students were able to take 17 credit hours without having to pay any extra money for credits thereafter. Now, 16 credit hours is the maximum number students can take without extra money charged, according to the Bursar website. A student will be charged $447 per credit hour after he or she exceeds 16 hours.

“The [renovation] needs on campus have and had become dire. As we look back on the fee plateau, our fee plateau essentially kicked in a credit hour earlier than most,” Floyd said.

Floyd also went on to say that the lowered credit cap was built into an initial plan to pay back university bonds.

Contact Jimmy Miller at [email protected].