Western Illinois University Board Votes To Raise Tuition, Room And Board For Next Year
MACOMB/Moline, IL — The Western Illinois University Board of Trustees voted to increase tuition, room and meal plan rates for new, incoming students at its March 26 Board meeting. Tuition, room and meal plan rates have remained level/unchanged since Fiscal Year 2020 (Fall 2019).
The 2021-2022 tuition rate for all incoming domestic undergraduate students will move to at $9,238 annually ($307.94/credit hour), from $8,883 annually. The 2021-2022 tuition rate for new domestic graduate students will move to $353.41 per credit hour from $339.82 per credit hour. The 2021-2022 room and meal plan for new students will increase to $10,192 from $9,800 (double room rate) per academic year. Fees for incoming Quad Cities students will increase from $1,269.90 to $1,809.90 (based on 30 credit hours annually).
At the May 2020 WIU Board of Trustees meeting, the Board thoroughly reviewed a new fee structure for students at the WIU-Quad Cities campus. Following the discussion on the fee proposal, the Board approved the first year of a four-year approach to the newly established QC Mandatory Fee. The fee, which will increase incrementally over the next four years (beginning Fall 2020), has been created to enhance campus activities, resources, and programs at the Quad Cities campus.
Previously, other QC fees have provided new programs and spaces to enhance the student experience, including the ESports Club and the ESports Room, a game room with lounge space, ping pong tables and more for social and recreational activities, expanded Bookstore operations, talent grants and financial support for student activity programming.
WIU has had a Quad-Cities presence since 1912, and before moving to River Drive in Moline, was at 60th Street off John Deere Road.
The WIU Cost Guarantee program ensures that undergraduate students pay the same rate for tuition, fees, room and meal plan for their four years of continuous enrollment. Western’s Cost Guarantee, which was the first in the state, was the model for Illinois’ Tuition Guarantee program. Today, WIU is the only public university in the state that provides the guaranteed cost structure for not only tuition and fees, but also room and board for undergraduate and transfer students. At its March 26 meeting, the Board tabled a vote until the June 2021 BOT meeting to discontinue the Cost Guarantee option for incoming graduate students.
WIU also offers numerous automatic scholarship incentives, including the enhanced Western Commitment Scholarship program, which automatically awards $3,000-8,000 each year to incoming freshmen with excellent academic ability and achievement in high school. Western’s Transfer Commitment Scholarship program provides an automatic award of $2,500 (part-time transfer students are also eligible). WIU has launched several new scholarship incentives, including an Alumni Legacy Scholarship for the children and grandchildren of WIU graduates, a Leatherneck Visitors Scholarship for incoming freshmen and transfers who attend an Admissions event on campus and scholarships for local high school students, as well as those from the Chicago and St. Louis regions. Western’s Promise Plus, which is part of the state’s “AIM High” funding program, goes a step beyond other “promise” programs by not only significantly reducing or offsetting tuition and fees, but also other costs, such as room, meal plan, books and course materials.
In other business, the Board approved student health insurance remain level at $795 per half year or $1,590 per full year. The Board also approved the memorandum of agreement, which was ratified March 1, with the University Professionals of Illinois Local 4100.
The full agenda and meeting materials/documents can be found at wiu.edu/bot, while the meeting live stream recording can be found at youtube.com/user/WesternIllinoisU.
The next Board meeting will be held June 10-11 at the WIU-Quad Cities campus in Moline.
