On February 24, 2011, Western Michigan University’s Board of Trustees approved differential tuition for the Haworth College of Business. This means that, beginning with the Fall 2011 semester, juniors and seniors affiliated with the Haworth College of Business will be charged a differential tuition rate of $40 per credit hour.
Below are frequently asked questions regarding differential tuition for the Haworth College of Business. If you have other questions,
Contact Dr.
, Associate Dean, Haworth College of Business
,
Phone: (269) 387-5050
Differential tuition is necessary to offset declines in state funding. The funding model for public universities has slowly shifted over time from 70 percent to 30 percent in state support dollars. At the same time, the cost of providing a quality business education has increased, and the demand for business courses is strong, placing huge resource demands on business schools.
Our level of state support does not provide the resources needed to maintain the quality of the undergraduate business program relative to competing institutions, particularly in recruiting and retaining top faculty. The Haworth College of Business has always been and remains committed to providing a business education of extraordinary quality and value. Differential tuition will allow us to maintain our competitive edge by providing resources on par with those that exist in our sister institutions, most of whom already charge differential tuition. One of the most important outcomes will be to improve and maintain low faculty-to-student ratios in the college.
Serious consideration of the differential tuition proposal began in 2009. Expected budget shortfalls at the state and university level in the next fiscal year, and uncertainty in years to come, may affect how differential tuition funds are spent in the short term, but as the economy recovers and budgets are fully restored, the college is committed to using differential tuition to its fullest potential as we fulfill the terms of the plan described below.
The college and the university leadership are mindful of the tuition challenges families face, especially in tough economic times, and are taking steps to ease the burden by boosting the level of financial aid available.
Yes, students in the College of Fine Arts at Western Michigan University will also pay differential tuition beginning fall 2011. Other research institutions in Michigan charging differential tuition include Michigan State, University of Michigan, and Wayne State University. In addition, Grand Valley State University and Eastern Michigan University also charge some form of differential tuition. A national study on differential tuition found that about one-third of all business schools charge differential tuition, ranging from $2 to $86 per credit hour and an average of 14 percent over base tuition. The differential tuition rate in the Haworth College of Business is about a five percent increase in total costs, well below the national average (see information about rates below).
Yes. The topic was discussed at the dean’s Student Leadership Advisory Board (SLAB), which consists of representatives from all the registered student organizations in the HCoB. The student representatives understood the unique funding challenges faced by the college and unanimously supported the differential tuition proposal.
Differential tuition will be assessed for all juniors and seniors (in-state, out-of-state, and international students) who are affiliated with the Haworth College of Business. Differential tuition will be charged on allcredits taken at any WMU campus (main campus, online education, regional locations or open learning courses) after the student has accumulated 56 credit hours; the 56 credit hours includes any non-business credits and credits earned at community colleges or other four-year institutions that have been transferred in to WMU.
The differential tuition rate is based on how many credit hours you take.
Putting the additional cost into a market perspective, Haworth graduates earn starting salaries that are significantly higher than other majors on campus (excluding Engineering and some of the sciences)—a one-year salary differential more than covers the entire differential tuition students will pay.
It is expected that the differential tuition per credit hour rate will be linked to university tuition increases. Thus, the differential tuition rate will increase when tuition increases.
All of the differential tuition paid by business students stays in the business college to benefit undergraduate students. Here are the specific ways the differential tuition will provide benefits:
