Wayne State University students won’t fret over higher tuition this fall as the university’s board of governors have unanimously approved a 0% tuition increase for the 2020-21 academic year.
The decision, along with a wide array of financial assistance programs aims to help ease the financial burden on students — many that work and go to school — after the coronavirus pandemic.
Still, the decision doesn’t come without some consequences for the university. As a public institution Wayne State relies on tuition and money from the state as its main sources of revenue. If fall enrollment falls or there are big changes in the state’s higher education budget appropriation, this decision could mean a budget gap of $20-$60 million for the school.
“There will be some financial pain,” Wayne State University President M. Roy Wilson said in a press release. “It’s too early to say specifically what the budget deficit will be. There are still too many unknown variables. We don’t know how long the pandemic will last or its impact on enrollment and our state appropriation. However, there is hopeful news with enrollment, as numbers are ahead of last year, which saw our second-largest freshman class in history.”
The fall semester at Wayne State is set to proceed as scheduled with a mix of in-person, remote and online classes. The proportion of each will depend on safety and science. Updated class and schedule information will be released by July 15.
