Students living on Michigan State University’s campus will be paying much more next year, the university’s board decided Friday in a unanimous vote.
The board approved a 5% increase, a substantial hike over last year’s 2.9% increase. The costs will rise from $7,590 to $7,969 for dining on the silver plan, the cheapest option. The room costs will increase from $5,338 to $5,605. The increase brings total costs to $13,574 for room and board, up from $12,928 this year.
The university requires students to live on campus for two years, meaning students will have to pay $27,148 in total.
“Residential and housing services get no support from the State of Michigan or tuition,” said Trustee Sandy Pierce, who chairs the board’s committee on budget and finance. “They are all self-supporting. So this revenue supports ongoing maintenance, … and we’re trying to build the reserve because the university is putting together a plan for all of the residential halls to determine and prioritize what can be done over the next several years.”
Although MSU has renovated several of its dorms in the last few years, most of the buildings were constructed 60-70 years ago. Ray Gasser, executive director of Residence Education and Housing Services, said in September the university has spent over $650 million on housing- and dining-specific renovations, upgrades and construction.
Trustee Mike Balow, the board’s sole Republican, said parents of students he spoke to often raised concerns about the age of the dorms.
“I get comments like, ‘Hey, I lived in Wonders (Hall) in 1975, and it still looks the same,'” Balow said. “So as part of being competitive in the future, we’ve got to succeed on all levels.”
Balow said the housing study the university had started would be essential for the university’s long-term plan as to how they would upgrade campus living conditions.
satwood@detroitnews.com
Correction: This article was updated to correct the amount students will pay for housing in the 2026-27 school year.
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Michigan State University housing, dining costs hiked more than a year ago
Reporting by Sarah Atwood, The Detroit News / The Detroit News
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