Hattiesburg, Miss., May 31, 2012 - Dr. Tommy King, president of William Carey University, recently announced that there will be no tuition increase for the 2012-2013 academic year. This is the third consecutive year that there has been no general tuition increase at the university. The announcement comes as public universities in the state prepare to raise tuition rates by up to 15 percent over the next two years.
In the 2012-2013 academic year, tuition will rise at Mississippi's public universities by an average of 8.5 percent, or an average increase of $459 per year. This increase will put tuition at the state's public universities at an average of $5,906 per year. Nationally, tuition prices are expected to rise 8.3 percent on average.
In the 2013-2014 academic year, tuition will again rise, making it 15 percent higher than in the 2011-2012 academic year. The tuition increases were approved by the state's College Board on May 7 because of a decline in state appropriations.
Private universities in the state have also seen a rise in tuition costs ranging from $380 to $780 per year. Tuition at WCU currently stands at $9,750 per academic year for a full-time load.
";Ninety percent of WCU students receive financial aid and generous scholarships which makes WCU competitive with public universities,"; said Dr. King.
New programs, such as the Ph.D. in Nursing Education and Administration, the Ed.D. in Higher Education Administration, the criminal justice degree on the Tradition campus, and the Bachelor of Science in Intercultural Studies (missions preparation), along with small class sizes and a Christian environment also make the university attractive, Dr. King said.
";WCU has been able to operate with no increase in tuition due to careful management, the generous support of alumni and friends, and a substantial growth in enrollment at the university, over 41 percent in the past five years,"; said Dr. King.
