VCU news

By Pamela DiSalvo Lepley

RICHMOND, Va. – The Virginia Commonwealth University Board of Visitors today approved an increase in tuition and fees for the 2003-2004 academic year. 

Tuition and fees for full-time, undergraduate Virginia students was set at $4,869 for the upcoming academic year, an increase of $651.  Out-of-state students will pay $17,213, an increase of $2,025.

“The tuition increase is necessary to help off-set continued reductions in taxpayer support brought about by the deterioration in the national and state economies,” said VCU President Dr. Eugene P. Trani.  “On a per student basis, state funding for Virginia students is lower now than it was 14 years ago.”

Room and board costs also will rise by $973. Combined with tuition and fees, total costs for a full-time, in-state, undergraduate student living on campus will be $11,592 for the upcoming academic year, while an out-of-state student will pay $23,936.

Tuition and fee charges for full-time, in-state graduate students will increase $926 to $7,030 for the academic year.  Out-of-state graduate students will pay $17,197, an increase of $2,025. 

Tuition for entering Virginia medical students will increase from $12,025 to $18,500.  Tuition for entering out-of-state medical students will increase from $30,350 to $34,328. 

“Market-based tuition rates are being implemented in several of our high-demand graduate programs to provide targeted funding for high priority needs of the programs,” Trani said.  “This is just one of our initiatives to become less reliant on state funding.”

The VCU Board of Visitors will consider the full budget plan for the upcoming academic year at its regular quarterly meeting on May 16.