Fairmont State University's Board of Governors Votes 2020-21 Budget without Increase in Tuition, Fees
By Connect-Bridgeport Staff on July 14, 2020
In an effort to assist students and families who have been impacted by the current pandemic, the Fairmont State University Board of Governors (BOG) voted to approve the proposed 2020-2021 budget without increasing tuition and fees.
“Due to the current struggles we know our student population and their families are dealing with, we felt it was in the best interest for our students to not raise tuition, housing and meal plans,” Christa Kwiatkowski, Chief Financial Officer, said. “We want students to return and complete their degrees and incoming students to feel confident they can meet the financial obligations. Not raising the cost is one of the best ways we can help with that.”
Fairmont State’s tuition and fees continue to be one of the lowest in the state and region. For the upcoming academic year, tuition and fees for students who are West Virginia residents will remain at $7,738 per year while out-of-state student tuition and fees stay at $16,814 and Metro Rate for students from surrounding states is $11,607.
“We know that college educations, like the ones Fairmont State provides, change lives. Now, more than ever, it’s vital that regional institutions do what they can to keep those opportunities alive,” David Goldberg, chairman of the Fairmont State Board of Governors. “Due to our financial strength, Fairmont State is in a better position than many schools to do just that: We can maintain a price point that is attainable for all West Virginians and is attractive for our out-of-state neighbors who are looking to take advantage of our one-of-a-kind academic programs, caring teacher mentors, and the extraordinary personal attention Fairmont State students receive.”
Fairmont State is a unique institution in which approximately 88.8 percent of our students come from West Virginia – and we have representation from every county in the state. About 61 percent of our students are the first in their family to attend college. With this, our students face a lot of financial hurdles when pursing a college degree.
For the 2018-2019 school year, 95 percent of first-time full-time students received federal, State, or institutional financial aid grants, 78 percent received institutional grants, and 48 percent of first-time students attending full-time received the Pell grant. About 66 percent of first-time full-time freshmen received needs-based financial aid and about 61 percent of all full-time undergraduate students received needs-based aid.
President Dr. Mirta Martin said student success is the foundation of every decision we make. Keeping tuition and fees frozen helps keep our students on track to achieve their dreams of a transformative education.
“Because we have a strong financial position, we’re able to freeze tuition and fees for our students. Doing so allows current students and potential new students – many of whom have been especially vulnerable during this historic global crisis – to continue or begin pursuing their dreams of earning a life-changing degree from Fairmont State,” Martin said.
