WSLS News Staff
Published: May 5, 2008

10 On Your Side’s Ashley Roberts will bring you the impact of the price hike tonight on WSLS at 5 p.m.

Current and future Hokies, prepare to pay a lot more to go to school.

The Virginia Tech Board of Visitors approved a huge tuition and fee hike this morning, at their meeting in Richmond.

For in-state undergraduate students, tuition and fees will rise nearly 11% from $7,397 to $8,198 per year.  And that’s if you don’t live on campus.  If you live on campus, prepare to see a price hike from $12,503 to $13,674 per year.  That’s an increase of just more than 9%.

For out-of-state students not living on campus, the increase is not as painful on a percentage basis.  Those not living on campus will pay $20,825 annually, up from $19,775, and increase of just more than 5%.  Those who live on campus will see their bill rise from $24,811 to $26,301, that’s an increase of 6%.

According to a news release from the school, graduate tuition and fees for in-state students will increase from $8,986 to $9,735, and for out-of-state students move from $15,351 to $16,866.

Tuition and fees for Maryland and Virginia students attending the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine will be $17,336 up from $15,951 Non-Virginia or Maryland veterinary students will pay $38,270 per year, according to that news release.

The university adds that certain students in the School of Architecture + Design will also pay an annual program fee of $650.  The new fee will begin with incoming freshmen, internal transfers, and incoming graduate students to support design studios and associated equipment and technology, according to the news release.

Virginia Tech President Charles Steger blamed three main items for the price hike: Security costs after the April 16th tragedy, soaring energy costs, and “an erosion in state funding.”

“Maintaining quality of a Virginia Tech education drives our decisions. The board reluctantly approved these increases against the backdrop of erosion in state funding,” said President Steger in a news release.  “Costs such as energy continue to rise. Demand for our programs is strong, and we plan to add faculty in critical areas. We are also funding campus safety initiatives such as additional police officers, counselors, notification systems, and hardware. We again will increase financial aid,” Steger added.

Tech highlighted their money problems by noting that “In 2003 the university lost about $72 million in state funding, and saw its budget reduced again by $10 million this year. The university now receives about $2,000 less per Virginia student than eight years ago,” in the news release.  Steger also added that rising demand and requests from state leaders pushed Tech to increase enrollment by about 1,500 students since 2000.

But work is being done to help fight the increases for lower income students.  The university says it’s “Fund for the Future” program is being implemented.  School leaders also say they will increase support for undergraduate financial aid by $1.8 million more in 2008-2009 than in 2007-2008.  According to the school, the state plans to increase its financial aid support by $408,000, and together, this will provide about $2.2 million in additional support in 2008-09, according to figures in the news release.

Steger still advocates Virginia Tech as an “excellent value,” saying in the news release, “Virginia Tech’s overall cost to attend still will remain competitive compared to other Virginia colleges and universities, likely about 13th of 15 colleges and universities. The average total cost to attend a Virginia four year public school is $15,000. Even with this increase, Virginia Tech’s total cost will be $13,674. Compared to our peer universities around the nation (a benchmark group developed by the state), we will rank about 21st of 24.”