Differential tuition plan might return to public universities

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PIERRE — Information released Tuesday shows the state Board of Regents will consider shifting its tuition policy for the coming 2012-2013 academic year, so that cost differences at the six state universities would be reflected in the amounts that students are charged per credit hour.

Resident undergraduates attending South Dakota State University, The University of South Dakota and South Dakota School of Mines and Technology would pay tuition of $129.90 per credit hour, under the proposal from the regents’ central administration.

For those three campuses, the proposed price would be an increase of 13.6 percent from the current tuition.

Those at Northern State University, Black Hills State University and Dakota State University would pay $124.20.

That would be an increase of 8.7 percent from the current tuition.

There likewise would be price differentials between the two sets of campuses for resident graduate students, non-resident undergrads and non-resident graduate students.

Resident graduate students, for example, would pay $196.80 per credit hour at SDSU, USD and the School of Mines.

At Northern, Black Hills State and Dakota State the price would be $188.30.

If adopted, the differential pricing would be the first for the state universities since the 1996-97 academic year.

The intent, according to documents distributed to the regents in advance of their meeting next week in Aberdeen, is to allow SDSU, USD and School of Mines to retain more money in support of their research work.

The regents are scheduled to discuss tuition and fees March 29. They are meeting at the state School for the Blind and Visually Impaired adjacent to the Northern campus.

Projections from the regents central office show the proposed tuition and fees would average $7,563.67 for 15 credit hours by a resident undergraduate student in the coming academic year, an increase of $463.97, or 6.5 percent.

By campus, the amounts would be:

• Black Hills State $7,320, an increase of $360 or 5.3 percent;

• Dakota State $7,948, an increase of $327.89 or 4.3 percent;

• Northern State $7,269, an increase of $318 or 4.6 percent;

• School of Mines $8,406.60, an increase of $511 or 6.5 percent;

• SDSU $7,404, an increase of $517.50 or 7.5 percent;

• USD $7,704, an increase of $495 or 6.9 percent.

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