West Virginia University’s Board of Governors Monday (May 9) approved tuition and fee increases of 5.74 percent for resident undergraduate students, 5.77 percent for resident graduate students, and 6.75 percent for nonresident undergraduate and graduate students.

For the main campus in Morgantown, the increase translates into $113 more for in-state undergraduate students per semesterfrom $1,969 to $2,082and $125 more for in-state graduate studentsfrom $2,166 to $2,291 .

For out-of-state undergraduates, the increase means $407 more per semesterfrom $6,030 to $6,437and for out-of-state graduate students, the increase will be $420 more per semesterfrom $6,221 to $6,641.

The board met by teleconference to approve the new rates.

“WVU’s budget has faced serious cuts over the past several years,said Provost Gerald Lang.This year, WVU , health sciences and regionals combined face another $9 million when you factor in 2percent state budget reductions plus other mandated costs. Unfortunately, some of that income must come from student tuition and fees as well as continued cost-saving and streamlining measures.”

Lang added that even with the increases, WVU remains competitively priced among its peers across the country.

“As state budgets for higher education decline across the country, tuition and fees keep increasing, and I think our students are savvy enough to understand this trend,”he said.”And I believe they recognize that WVU is still an exceptional educational value . WVU provides a high-quality education for a reasonable cost and continues to be recognized as a �€~best buyfor a college degree.

The board also approved residence life increases of 4.25 percent, and several other discipline-specific fees.

Tuition and fee increases at Potomac State College of WVU and WVU Institute of Technology were also approved as follows:

• At Potomac State, a 4.02 percent increase for residents per semester, or $45, a 3.96 percent increase for nonresidents, or $150; and a metro fee increase of 3.95 percent, or $79. Also, fees are proposed for the new bachelor of applied science degree, and residence hall increases of 4 percent, board increases of 3 percent, and faculty apartment increases of 7.9 percent

• At WVU Tech, a 7.71 percent increase for residents per semester, 9.8 percent for nonresidents and 9.19 percent metro fee. Also, higher fees for engineering and nursing students, and graduate increases of 7.65 percent for residents and 9.76 percent for nonresidents. Also, residence hall increases of between 5.9-8.5 percent.

In other matters, the panel:

• Approved construction of an approximately $1.2 million wrestling training center to be built onto the existing Natatorium. The project is being funded entirely from a private donation, and will take approximately 12 months to complete.

• Swore in Tom Dover, the new Board of Advisors chairman at WVU Institute of Technologys Community and Technical College, to the BOG , replacing outgoing chair Ralph Sevy.

The next WVU board meeting is set for June 17 in Charleston at Embassy Suites.