University of Oklahoma approves third consecutive tuition increase during meeting at lodge

TULSA — A 3% tuition increase has been approved at the University of Oklahoma, guaranteeing students' costs will rise for the third consecutive year.

University leaders say the increase is necessary to cover rising recurring costs, including faculty and staff raises. Although OU received $8.8 million more from the Oklahoma Legislature this year, administrators said state funding levels aren't as consistent as tuition revenue.

"We think this is integral to the success of the university," Chief Financial Officer Matthew D. Brockwell said. "We need to have funding for our strategic imperatives and to take care of our people."

The OU Board of Regents unanimously voted in favor of the measure while meeting Wednesday at the POSTOAK Lodge & Retreat outside of Tulsa. The board approved a $1.17 billion budget for OU's Norman campus, including $10 million in merit-based raises for faculty and staff, and an $882 million budget for the Health Sciences Center in Oklahoma City.

Tuition rose last year by 3% for out-of-state students and by 2.75% the year before for Oklahoma residents and non-residents.

This year's increase adds $5 per credit hour for in-state undergraduates and $21.75 for out-of-state undergraduates. That brings the total cost to $169 per credit hour for Oklahomans and $738 per credit hour for students from other states.

More: OU board gathered at retreat lodge may vote to raise tuition for third consecutive year

How much will OU students be paying in tuition?

Graduate students from Oklahoma will pay $36.20 more per credit hour, and non-resident graduates will add $55.95 per credit hour to their tuition bill.

The OU College of Law also will experience a 3% tuition hike. Changes in cost will vary at the Health Sciences Center by 1-7%, depending on the program.

For in-state students, the 3% increase evens out to $280 more a year before scholarships and tuition waivers are factored in, Brockwell said.

When considering financial aid, OU's in-state freshmen pay 6% less out of pocket than they did five years ago, and out-of-state freshmen pay less than a percent more, the university reported. Meanwhile, OU administrators have cut more than $100 million in overhead costs.

Brockwell said the 3% increase is a "modest, reasonable request" to keep up with inflation and faculty raises.

'I hate to see that they're putting that cost on the students'

To rising senior Amelia Landry, the tuition hike is "disappointing." Landry, of Allen, Texas, said she doesn't expect it to affect her day-to-day life, but she encounters many students who likely will feel the difference.

Landry works at the university food bank, where many clients are out-of-state students. For them, she said, an extra few hundred dollars a year in tuition means even less money for groceries and gas.

“We really do want to see our teachers be paid," Landry said. "We don’t necessarily view this as a greed thing. The university is a business and you have to make sure that it functions, but I hate to see that they’re putting that cost on the students.”

Another major university system in Oklahoma anticipates no tuition increases this year. The Oklahoma A&M Board of Regents, which oversees Oklahoma State University and four other colleges, will vote Friday on a budget that would keep tuition flat.

OU tuition increases in 2022: University of Oklahoma raising tuition for out-of-state students

OU regent public votes, official business not normally held during retreats

The OU regents met for a two-day retreat at the POSTOAK lodge northwest of Tulsa, with a public meeting Wednesday and a private executive session Thursday.

The board commonly takes an annual retreat, but these meetings don't often involve public votes and official business. The university would not explain why it chose to host its public meeting at POSTOAK rather than the OU-Tulsa campus.

An OU spokesperson told The Oklahoman it would have to file an open records request with the university to obtain details on retreat expenses. That records request, filed late Tuesday afternoon, was not yet filled by press time.

The reserved meeting space at POSTOAK typically costs at least $2,000 to $2,500 a day, according to the venue.

"Please note many of the expenses of this meeting would have been incurred regardless of the site," OU spokesperson April Sandefer said.

Weslie Griffin, a rising senior at OU, said it was "kind of crushing" that the regents would vote on raising tuition from a retreat lodge, especially during the summer when most students are away from the university.

"We’re the ones paying for that," Griffin said. "They're increasing the price (of tuition), as well as telling us we should be more frugal with our money, then to go rent out rooms like that in resorts and lodges."

Reporter Nuria Martinez-Keel covers K-12 and higher education throughout the state of Oklahoma. Have a story idea for Nuria? She can be reached at nmartinez-keel@oklahoman.com or on Twitter at @NuriaMKeel. Support Nuria’s work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at subscribe.oklahoman.com.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: 3% tuition hike approved at University of Oklahoma