FEES FIT SERVICES

Southeast Missouri State University fees are on their way up this fall. The Board of Regents last week approved a series of rate increases for tuition, general fees, residence halls costs and textbook costs.

Some students may wince at the increasing price of a higher education. When combined with incidental fees, the total cost per credit hour will be $96 for undergraduates and $173 for out-of-state students.

But to its credit, Southeast is trying to give students a bigger bang for the buck. A strategic planning process is working to make the university not only more accessible, but also more in tune with student needs.

A weekend and night school -- called Southeast P.M. -- will gear up this fall, enabling students to earn a degree without ever taking a daytime class. The university is also working to beef up technology to afford students with the most up-to-date resources.

The fee increases include $1 a credit hour earmarked to maintain and improve the university's computer network. The new computer fee is expected to generate an additional $187,500.

What is unusual about the regents' vote is that it involved a series of fees. Oftentimes, the board tries to space out such increases.

But to offset the fact several fees will rise, the overall change was kept to a modest level. Total student fees will rise just $4 a credit hour -- from $92 to $96 for undergraduate students. Graduate fees will also rise $4 an hour -- from $98 to $102.

At $96 per credit hour this fall, Southeast remains competitive with many of the state universities and well below the cost of $121 per credit hour at the University of Missouri campuses.

Residence hall cost increases will depend on the number of amenities such as a suite or number of occupants. The university has overhauled several of its residence halls in recent years as a way to attract more occupants.

The renovations have paid off in a growing number of campus tenants. That number had dipped significantly in the 1980s as the high school graduate pool had declined. Many non-traditional students choose to live off campus. But the university has tried to make several of the residence halls more like apartments, but with the added attraction of meals.

Revenue in excess of expenditures will be pumped back into additional capital improvements.

The university's strategic plan for the coming five years should bring a number of initiatives and improvements to the campus. Most students won't mind paying a little more if they feel Southeast is working give them their money's worth.