The Worcester State College Board of Trustees approved a 9.8% fee increase Monday night. The $550 increase will bring tuition and fees for a full-time commuter student to $7,155 and $14,733 for the average residential student.
“This increase was necessary to maintain the academic excellence that we have strived so hard to achieve,” said President Janelle Ashley. “The current economic climate, declining state funding, coupled with rising contract, fringe and energy costs necessitated the increase.” The college is currently funded at 1998 levels by the Commonwealth of Massachsuetts.
WSC will now have the third lowest mandatory fee structure of the seven non-specialty state colleges. “Worcester State College remains a tremendous bargain,” said Ashley citing the college’s designation as a Best Northeastern College by the Princeton Review. She added that the college is working hard to meet the financial needs of its students. This year the college and its foundation awarded more than $500,000 in student scholarships as compared to only $15,000 in 1998.
The fee increase goes into effect fall, 2010.