Missouri St. reduces required credit hours to cut student costs

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- Missouri State University is decreasing the number of credit hours required to graduate as part of a plan to make the school more affordable.

The Columbia Missourian reports that Missouri State University president Clifton Smart announced a five-point plan last week. The new initiatives are part of a statewide trend to reduce higher-education costs amid state-budget cuts.

Decreasing the number of credit hours required to graduate from 125 to 120 is projected to save students an average of $1,100. Other cost-saving measures include broadening scholarship offerings, freezing some on-campus housing rates, renegotiating dining contracts and streamlining textbook costs.

Smart said affordability is the most frequently cited reason students give for their decision to attend.