July 20, 2011
During a special meeting on Friday, July 15, the Executive Committee of the Shawnee State University Board of Trustees approved a 2012 fiscal year budget for the University, which includes a less than 3.5 percent increase in undergraduate tuition beginning fall 2011 semester.
"With the State's budget that was finalized on June 30, public universities were authorized to increase their tuition rates to help manage cuts in funding," Dr. Rita Rice Morris, SSU president, explained. "In the new State budget, the two primary funding sources for Shawnee State University were reduced by more than 10 percent."
Morris said that the university is working to keep tuition low and, in the past several months and years, has reduced expenses and implemented ways to operate more efficiently while protecting student services and programs.
"The recommendation to raise tuition as part of this year's budget was done so after much thought and consideration," she said. "We have tried to balance the needs of the university to ensure a high quality education for our students with our efforts to keep costs down for our students and their families. Affordability remains a priority for us at Shawnee State University, as it does for our parents and students, and we are continuing to work to keep tuition low."
Morris said that Shawnee State University has the second lowest tuition rate in the state of Ohio. Last fall, the university saw record-breaking enrollment of nearly 4,600 students from nearly every county in the state and preliminary indicators look good for this coming fall.
"New graduate programs, services and facilities are attracting new students," Morris said. "We offer the best academic value in the state of Ohio, combining one of the lowest tuition rates with academic excellence."