Wichita State will propose to the Kansas Board of Regents a 2% tuition increase for the upcoming school year, President Jay Golden announced Thursday evening in a letter sent to campus community members.

The university estimates the proposed increase would cost approximately $67 per student, per semester. Because of the proposed tuition increase, Golden said students will see no increases to student fees in the upcoming academic year.

“I understand that this is difficult news,” Golden wrote. “Please be assured that the decision to make this recommendation was not done without significant conversation with the Division of Finance and Administration, the university budget advisory committee and students.”

“It was also not done without exploring many or other possible alternatives and the impact on our students.”

Golden also announced new cost-saving measures, in addition to current hiring freezes and restrictions on travel and discretionary spending. The university expects the measures will save a combined $5.2 million.

• A 2% budget cut to general use funds in fiscal year 2021 for all divisions
• All requests for new hires must go through a position review process.
• Voluntary temporary furlough of academic deans
• Temporary salary reductions for university executives and athletic coaching staff

All in-person courses this fall are moving to hybrid instruction, meaning they will be part online and part in-person. WSU announced earlier on Thursday that all fall courses will transition fully online after Thanksgiving Break, which is now set to begin two days earlier on Monday, Nov. 23.

Golden said the university will only charge students for housing through the campus shutdown date on Nov. 20, unless a student chooses to stay after that date. Those who stay longer will be charged a daily rate.

WSU has provided about $4.2 million CARES Act relief to students, but Golden acknowledged in his letter that some students in need do not qualify for those funds.

“There are other members of our campus community, including our international students, undocumented students and students enrolled in distance-only degree programs who may need financial assistance,” he wrote.

To help those students, the WSU Foundation created the Shockers UP COVID-19 Emergency Fund.