Ohio University will be required to provide incoming freshmen in 2015 with what the price of their educations will be as upperclassmen if university trustees vote in favor of implementing a guaranteed tuition program at their meeting later this month.
The tuition model promises students a flat tuition rate — a price determined by adding the historical average rate of inflation, which now rests at about 3 percent, to each year’s projected cost and dividing that total amount by four for a flat rate over four years.
“Public universities have become increasingly tuition dependent as state support has declined in order to maintain their quality and cover their critical costs. Annual tuition increases are not a sustainable business model as student and family budgets are constrained and these increases represent a compounded impact,” according to the resolution in the board’s agenda.
Trustees will vote on taking out $585 million in debt to paid for deferred maintence construction projects.
Trustees will also vote on installing a new elevator in Haning Hall — a $500,000 project funded by state appropriations — and a $5 million budget to replace internal components of the Laushce Heating Plant, which will be funded by university reserves and reimbursed from a bond issuance.
The new name of OU’s Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine branch in Columbus will also be put to a vote — it could potentially be called the OhioHealth Medical Education Buildings.
Trustees will meet at the Athens campus June 20 and 21.
sj950610@ohiou.edu
