Southeast Regents raise room, board fees

Southeast Missouri State University students will pay more to live on campus next school year, but will find it easier to stay in its residence halls during school breaks.

The board of regents Friday voted unanimously to raise room-and-board rates by 2.3 percent for the 2016-2017 school year, raising average charges to $8,353 for the year.

The university will increase room rates by 1.5 percent on average, while board rates will climb an average of 3.5 percent, said Deborah Below, vice president of enrollment management.

School officials said the increase in board charges reflects increases associated with Chartwells dining services. Below said those increased costs reflect Chartwells’ commitment to invest $6.57 million in improvements to the dining facilities over the next 10 years.

In nine of Southeast’s 13 residence halls, room rates will increase by $30. The increase will allow students access to their dorm rooms even during school breaks in the fall and spring semesters.

Below said the rate increase will generate an additional $84,000 that will be used to cover the cost of staffing residence halls during the fall, semester and spring breaks. Below said nearly 600 students are staying on campus during the break periods.

“There are a lot of students who need to stay on campus,” she told the board. Below said demand for school “break” housing has increased annually since the 2010-2011 school year. Factors for this trend include working students, international students and out-of-state students, she said.

Below said the change will allow students to stay on campus without having to pay a separate fee of $25 a night or up to a maximum of $250. The move will allow the university to better compete with off-campus housing, where students don’t have to move out during school breaks, she said.

Below said universities across the nation increasingly are keeping their residence halls open during the fall and spring semesters.

Jay Knudtson, president of the board of regents, applauded school officials for “thinking outside the box.”

Student regent Austin Cordell praised the move.

“I think it is definitely something the university can market,” he said.

mbliss@semissourian.com

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