Virginia State University’s Board of Visitors recently approved a tuition and mandatory fee increase of $364 for in-state undergraduate students for the 2013-2014 academic year.  The increase equals out to a 4.9 percent rise for in-state undergraduate students. Due to the modest increase, doctor VSU hopes to maintain its position of having one of the lowest tuition and fee structures among Virginia’s 15 public universities. “This year’s tuition and fee increase represents a clear message to our students that VSU recognized and met the challenge of ensuring that any necessary increase was reasonable and the cost of a VSU education remains affordable, help ” explained Vice President for Finance and Administration, David Meadows.  VSU’s out-of-state tuition and fees will also increase by 4.9 percent taking the total up to $804.

Students will also see a rise in room and board expenses for the upcoming school year. In-state students can expect to see a $328 upsurge for room and board, bringing the total cost for a higher education at VSU to $17,792 for the 2013-2014 school year; a four percent total increase from last year’s tuition of $17,100.

Although VSU will be seeing a spike in tuition, it still remains one of the most affordable  public universities in the Commonwealth and directly reflects the strong pillar of education that VSU has become.  “We are grateful to the General Assembly for investing more heavily in higher education in its last two sessions,” Meadows said. “The Assembly providing additional funding allowed VSU to keep this year’s increase in tuition and fees to an amount concurrent to the rise in our operating expenses, in concert with Governor McDonnell’s recommendations with regard to tuition and fees.”