West Virginia University’s Board of Governors on Tuesday (April 4) approved tuition and fee increases for the WVU Institute of Technology, WVU Tech’s Community and Technical College and WVU Parkersburg.

Meeting by conference call, the panel approved increases ranging from approximately 4.5 percent to 7.5 percent at the respective campuses, including:

• At WVU Parkersburg, the board approved an increase of $51 per semester, or 6.12 percent, for residents and $174, or 5.91 percent, for nonresidents. Increases were approved for bachelor’s degree students of $66, or 5.79 percent, for residents, and $168, or 5.58 percent, for nonresidents. The board also approved a $24 increase in the music fee and a $10 increase in the welding fee.

• At Tech’s Community and Technical College , an increase of $74 per semester, or 4.75 percent, was approved for residents; and $247, or 4.76 percent, for nonresidents. The increase for metro students is $160, or 4.74 percent. The board noted that the metro fee (some out-of-state counties that adjourn WV borders) will be eliminated after the next academic year. Also, the board approved a special fee to support engineering equipment for those students.

• At Tech, increases of $150 per semester, or 7.36 percent, were approved for undergraduate residents and $388, or 7.45 percent, for nonresident undergraduates. Program-specific fees for engineering and nursing were also approved in order to invest in these programs and ensure re-accreditation. The metro fee, which will be eliminated after this year, is also increasing. Tech’s resident graduate students will have increases of $166, or 7.37 percent, and nonresident graduate students will see a $427, or 7.46 percent, increase. Engineering students will have a larger increase and a lab fee. Increases in single room rates of 4.5 percent were also approved.

Tuition and fee increases at WVU ’s Montgomery and Parkersburg campuses have somecommon threadsand were based on several factors, said Provost Gerald Lang. They include the need to fund capital improvement projects on these campuses; the need to increase faculty and staff salaries; and the limited amount of equity funding received from state appropriations. For Tech, the increases also address recruitment and retention of students and a plan to renovate or build a new residence hall.

The fee packages for WVU Tech are due to the Higher Education Policy Commission by April 15. The Tech Community and Technical College and WVU Parkersburg fee packages are due to the Community and Technical College Council by April 7.

Tuition and fee increases for WVU ’s main campus and Potomac State College of WVU will likely be decided at the April 21 BOG meeting in Morgantown.