Students in Ohio University’s College of Osteopathic Medicine could pay $1,329 more in tuition next year.
OU’s Budget Planning Council will recommend a 5 percent tuition increase for the medical college next school year to compensate for a loss in state subsidy, but the college still expects to remain one of the least expensive medical schools in the state.
“We’re the lowest-priced medical school in the state, and we’re still projected to stay at that when we look at increases other schools are considering,” said John Day, associate provost for academic budgeting.
A 5 percent tuition increase would bring the college’s yearly tuition to $27,909 for in-state students. Graduate programs are exempt from Gov. John Kasich’s proposed 3.5 percent tuition cap.
“It is our desire and our effort to keep tuition as low as we possibly can at the college and certainly to stay at or near the bottom of tuition for Ohio medical schools as best we can,” said Jack Brose, dean of the College of Osteopathic Medicine.
The College of Osteopathic Medicine’s tuition has been raised during the past few years because of state funding cuts, Brose said. This school year, it increased 5 percent, as well.
“Costs are going up and the support from the state is going down; it has gone down every year for quite a number of years now,” he said. “(Tuition) has gone up at all the medical schools pretty much yearly to one extent or another. … It’s been a fairly steady rise.”
The College of Osteopathic Medicine is expecting a $2.2 million decrease in state funding next fiscal year, according to budget reduction scenarios released late last month.
OU recently announced the college received a $105 million gift from the Osteopathic Heritage Foundations, but the money is specifically allocated for scholarships, facilities and building a regional extension campus in Columbus.
OU President Roderick McDavis will decide whether to include the tuition increase in his final budget, which must be voted on and approved by the university’s Board of Trustees at its June 24 meeting.
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