Tuition increase to take effect

As the summer comes to an end, most students are gathering their spare change to get ready for the 15 percent differential tuition increase effective in fall.

Come the start of the semester students should expect to pay $208.23 per credit hour, compared to $186.13 last year. Students taking 12 credit hours this semester will see an increase of $230.88 compared to last year.

The 15 percent increase that was approved in June by the Board of Governors added $19.24 to the differential tuition, which was $24.96, for a total of $44.20 per credit hour. The $20 million that will be generated from this increase will go toward maintaining courses and faculty positions, and to need-based financial aid, according to Provost and Executive Vice President Tony Waldrop.

Bright Futures does not cover the cost of differential tuition although some Florida Prepaid plans do.

Base tuition will remain at $103.32 per credit hour, as set by Florida statutes.

It’s not just differential tuition that’s going up for fall. The Florida Board of Governors also approved increases to the capital improvement trust fund fee, the health fee, the athletic fee and the transportation access fee.

Add these with the other fees students are required to pay and you’ll be looking at $60.71 per credit hour, compared to $57.85 last year.

For out-of-state students, tuition and fees are the same with two added expenses: $511.06 for the nonresident fee and $25.55 for the nonresident financial aid fee. Combined with the other costs, out-of-state students will be paying $744.84 per credit hour — more than triple what Florida residents pay.

Assuming you’re an undergraduate student taking 12 credit hours for the fall semester, your total bill should be $2,498.76 but that number may vary depending on what classes you decide to take.

All the fee increases combined with the differential tuition increase comes out to a total of an extra $22.10 per credit hour compared to the 2011-2012 academic year, overall this is an 11.9 percent increase. During the course of a 30-credit-hour academic year, with all the increases students will pay an additional $663.

Payments for tuition are due Aug. 31; a $100 late fee will be added for payments made after that date.

When it comes time to fork over the bill, remember that Visa credit cards are no longer accepted for tuition payments and all other credit cards will be charged a 2 percent nonrefundable convenience fee.

To avoid paying extra, checks can be mailed or dropped off at room 109 in Millican Hall; there is also a 24-hour deposit box located outside Millican Hall.