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Contact: Terry Denbow, University Relations, (517) 355-2262, denbow@msu.edu

MSU pledges not to raise tuition mid-year

12/05/2003

EAST LANSING, Mich. - Recognizing that any further reduction in support from the state of Michigan will be very difficult and will impact further the service and programs at MSU and that the university continues to do all it can to contain costs while maintaining quality, during the December 5, 2003, meeting of the Board of Trustees, interest in adopting a resolution related to the State of Michigan's budget challenges and the university's tuition actions emerged.The situation at the Capitol remains fluid. The Resolution follows:

Whereas MichiganStateUniversity recognizes that there are significant budget challenges confronting Michigan; and

Whereas MSU already has taken three state funding cuts totaling nearly $40 million; and

Whereas MSU has not received inflationary adjustments from the state over the last two fiscal years, equating to approximately $24 million in lost purchasing power; and

Whereas MSU's continuing efforts to constrain costs has resulted in no real increase in tuition in seven of the last ten years; and

Whereas had MSU raised tuition at the average of the Big Ten we would have received an additional $340 million; and

Whereas MSU has discontinued certain programs and consolidated others for greater efficiency; and

Whereas MSU Extension and the Michigan Agricultural Experiment Station saw state appropriations cut last year by 10%; and

Whereas MSU fully supports strong MAES and MSUE programs and applauds Michiganians statewide who have actively and effectively expressed their support for these critical and valued programs; and

Whereas MSU's education and research missions must not be seriously compromised; and

Whereas MSU's Board of Trustees is committed to maintaining access to high quality academic programs;

Therefore be it resolved that the MSU Board of Trustees pledges not to increase tuition for the Spring 2004 semester if additional mid-year state appropriation cuts are held to three percent or less.