Students attending Missouri State University-West Plains (MSU-WP)will see increases to tuition and other fees charged for the 2025 academic year.
The Missouri State University Board of Governors Executive Committee gave preliminary approval to those increases during its meeting on Thursday, April 17, in Springfield. Final action will be taken by the full board during its meeting in May.
Basic tuition for in-state students will go up $6, from $149 to $155 per credit hour, a 4% increase. Out-of-state students will pay $310 per credit hour in basic tuition for FY2025. This is a $12 increase over last year’s $298 per credit hour rate.
“The higher education landscape is constantly changing, and to keep up, we have to find the best way to balance our ability to provide exceptional educational experiences for our students with the responsibility of keeping costs manageable for them,” MSU-WP Chancellor Dennis Lancaster said.
“The reality, however, is that operational costs, which includes faculty salaries, facility maintenance, technology upgrades and other essential expenses, continue to rise, and these costs directly impact the quality of education and services we provide to our students,” he added. “To maintain that quality, we’ve made a modest increase in tuition rates for the coming year, but even with the increase, we remain among the most affordable public institutions in Missouri.”
Other fee increases
Other fee increases were approved, as well.
• Online course fees will go from $179 to $185 per credit hour.
• The Common Fee, which covers a variety of student and administrative focused activities, will go from $34 per credit hour to $42 per credit hour. University officials explained a portion of the increase would be used to hire a staff member in the student life and development office to coordinate a number of additional student activities, including intramural sports, university officials said. Another portion will be used for deferred maintenance projects and parking improvements, they added.
• Fees for in-person seated nursing classes will go from $194 to $205 per credit hour for Missouri residents and from $388 to $410 for out-of-state students. Online nursing classes will be $210 for Missouri students and $420 for out-of-state students. Nursing fees for seated and online courses were separated last year due to the growth of MSU-WP’s online nursing program.
New housing, meal plan fees
Students living in the Grizzly Lofts for the fall and spring semesters in FY2025 will pay $7,150 compared to $7,000 this past year, which is a 2% increase. The fee includes a 19-meal-per-week plan at the Grizzly Bite, the on-site dining hall.
Students living in the Grizzly Lofts for the 2025 summer session will pay $2,100, which includes a 10-meal-per-week plan.
Students not living in the Grizzly Lofts, as well as faculty and staff, may purchase “punch cards” for the Grizzly Bite at a cost of $70 for 10 meals.
Fees for high school students
Area high school students who participate in dual credit or dual enrollment programs through MSU-WP will not see increases in their fees this year. The dual credit fee will remain at $70 per credit hour, and the dual enrollment fee will stay at $88 per credit hour.
For more information about tuition and student fees, contact the MSU-WP business office at 417-255-7260.
