The Alabama A&M University (AAMU) Board of Trustees on Friday, June 17, approved a nine (9) percent tuition increase for the 2011-2012 academic year for all student categories (undergraduate and graduate). When factoring in mandatory fees plus room and board, in-state undergraduate students will realize a ten (10) percent net increase. A similar net percentage increase will occur for all other student categories. “This represents an $18.27 increase per credit hour for the typical in-state undergraduate student taking at least 15 credit hours of classes,” notes Ralph Johnson, AAMU vice president for business and finance. “The increase raises yearly in-state undergraduate tuition from $6,090 to $6,638. In-state graduate students will realize a $27.81 increase per credit hour.” Out-of-state undergraduates will pay $36.54 more per credit hour, he added, and out-of-state graduate students will pay $55.62 more per credit hour.
Housing costs will increase by $100 per semester for both traditional and nontraditional residents. Meal plans for both residential and commuter students will remain flat. A $250 housing deposit will be implemented for all residential students. Although the costs of providing services continue to rise locally and nationwide, the Board of Trustees remains committed to AAMU’s mission of providing an affordable education. The increase was influenced in part by the loss of federal stimulus funding, which ends following the current year, officials say, adding that, despite the increase, AAMU remains “a very affordable university,” Johnson says. “We have a quality product and want to maintain that quality product,” commented Dr. Andrew Hugine, Jr., AAMU president. “We are in tough economic times, and we must look at things long-term. No constituency of the University will escape some impact. This is shared sacrifice.”
