PIERRE -The South Dakota Board of Technical Education set the state tuition rate at $121 per credit hour for the 2019-2020 academic year. The rate is a $5 per credit hour increase over last year, while other state fees will remain unchanged for the coming year. Overall, the state tuition and fee total at South Dakota's four technical institutes will increase by 2.9 percent in the fall of 2019. The rate was approved during the board's meeting Thursday on the campus of Western Dakota Technical Institute in Rapid City.
"Our institutions are committed to providing a high-quality technical education while placing an emphasis on affordability," said Nick Wendell, executive director of the Board of Technical Education in a statement. "Much of the increase can be attributed to the need to update equipment and facilities to support new and expanding programs. The system, with four dynamic campuses, will also experience typical annual increases in expenses such as utilities and salaries."
With fees, the total cost to students will be $162 per credit hour. The system increased tuition rates by $2 per credit hour prior to the 2018-19 school year. The state's four technical institutes, which includes Mitchell Technical Institute, had a total of 6,825 students in the fall and 6,665 students during this current spring semester.
