Students might have noticed an email earlier this summer telling them tuition will be raised.

In the email, President Mary Ellen Mazey stated that the Board of Trustees approved a two percent increase in tuition and fees for in-state undergraduate students. Tuition will be about $106 more per semester in fall 2013 for full-time, in-state undergraduate students.

“We’ve lost nearly $30 million of state funding since the summer of 2009,” said Sheri Stoll, chief financial officer. “That represents a loss of almost 30 percent.”

In 2008, 2009 and half of 2010, tuition was not raised because the state held funding flat or gave a funding increase, she said. The total budget for the 2013-2014 school year is almost $3 million less than this past year, Stoll said.

Even though the University has raised tuition, it still doesn’t fix everything.

The money generated by the tuition increase does not replace all of the money lost due to the decreased state support, Stoll said.

Some students think the extra money they are paying toward tuition now is being used to pay for all the renovations around campus.

“I see the tuition increase going toward the new renovations to the University,” said senior Kayla Fackler.

Senior Doug Hawkey also thinks the money is going toward renovations.

“We have to pay more money and the whole campus is under construction, it’s stupid,” Hawkey said.

The money will go toward the University’s general operating budget, which includes things like faculty salaries, health insurance and electricity, Stoll said.

If students have questions about tuition and the budget they can contact the department of finance and administration, she said.

The approved budgets for the University are also available on the University’s website under A-Z links, Stoll said.

Every year when looking at the budget, if tuition has to be raised, the smallest increase possible is considered, she said. Deciding what happens with tuition every year is largely dependent on state support and it’s important for students to vote and elect someone who supports higher education, Stoll said.

It is still unclear what is going to happen with tuition next year— whether it will increase, decrease or stay the same.

“It’s too early to tell if tuition will increase again next year because we don’t know what kind of support we will receive from the state,” Stoll said. “We will begin by modeling a budget with no increase, an increase is not what we want to do.”

Some students are skeptical.

“If you look at the cost of attendance at all four-year schools, there are only four that are less expensive than [the University],” Stoll said.

FIVE CHEAPEST COLLEGES IN OHIO:

1. Central State University total: $14,652

2. Shawnee State University: $15,514

3. Youngstown State University: $15,862

4. Wright State University: $16,186

5. The University: $18,458

*From www.bgsu.edu