Live off campus in an Athens apartment? Good. Unless you are a freshman or out of state student, the future budget hikes announced by the university won’t affect you.
The Ohio University Board of Trustees approved a budget for the 2016-2017 school year that raises the tuition on incoming freshmen, as well as tuition raises on out of state students, increases in student housing and student meal rates.
“While most tuition, room and board rate increases at Ohio public universities have been frozen by the state Legislature since Ohio’s 2015 budget bill, incoming OU freshman will still see an increase in cost from what freshman paid last year,” reads OU’s 2017 budget book. “The university’s guaranteed tuition program is exempt from that freeze, which is why the Board of Trustees was able to approve the following increases for 2016 fall semester freshmen: 1.7 percent increase in instructional and general fees paid; a 5.6 percent increase in the surcharge for non-resident students; a 3.5 percent increase to residential housing rates; and a 2 percent increase to dining rates.”
Live Off Campus to Avoid the Expense Hikes
So if you’re pitching the idea of Ohio University off campus housing to your parents, start by pointing out that these increases won’t apply to you.
And you’ll still benefit. The tuition hikes are planned to cover tuition raises in faculty. Tuition raises will cost $2.2 million as the university pursues its goal of making tenured faculty the third highest paid across all public universities in Ohio. Currently, it ranks sixth.