“The move to a flat-rate tuition is a way to help students reduce the cost of their education over the long term and encourage them to graduate in four years,” said U of M, Crookston Associate Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs and Enrollment Management Peter Phaiah. “The changes are part of the University’s commitment to making students’ applied-learning, technology-driven education at the Crookston campus even more affordable and successful.”

Students who take advantage of the flat rate and graduate in 4 years, rather than 5 years, pay significantly less and can save nearly $20,000. To graduate in 4 years at the Crookston campus, a student on average must complete 15-16 credits per semester (typically five 3-credit courses).

Crookston campus students taking 15 credits or more each semester will pay a flat-tuition rate, including fees, of $8,821 per academic year, which is the lowest in the U of M system. Students taking 12 credits or fewer will pay per credit at a rate of $248. In addition, a separate $15 fee for each online credit taken will also be charged on top of the costs for either scenario.

“The Crookston campus is committed to keeping University of Minnesota degrees affordable and minimizing debt for graduates,” Chancellor Charles H. Casey said. “We are proud that students from campus graduate with the lowest debt load in the system, and we know that the flat-rate tuition structure will strengthen this trend.”

The following table compares the tuition and fee rates for 15 or more credits from last academic year with new tuition and fees rates at the Crookston campus for 2007-08. This represents a less than 3% increase over the previous year.

                        *2.95% increase in tuition and fees

In late June, the U of M Board of Regents approved the University of Minnesota budget for 2007-08, which included a tuition reform plan for the entire U of M system and a flat-rate tuition strategy for all coordinate campuses.

The University of Minnesota, Crookston (UMC) delivers more than 25 applied-science undergraduate degree programs and 50 concentrations, including online degrees, in agriculture; arts, humanities and social sciences; business; math, science and technology; and natural resources. UMC is dedicated to helping students and the region aim higher, reach further and dream bigger dreams. To learn more, visit www.UMCrookston.edu.

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