EMU, OU Presidents Defend 'Double The Cap' Tuition Hikes

LANSING (WWJ) - State lawmakers met with the president's of Eastern Michigan and Oakland University Thursday afternoon to talk about recent tuition increases from both schools that exceeded the state's proposed cap.

O.U. President George Hynd explained the university's decision behind an almost 8.5 percent increase this way.

"Our budget model - relying less and less on state appropriations and more and more on tuition revenues was no longer sustainable for our historically low pricing levels," said Hynd, "these are the reasons my administration has made the difficult decision to recommend raising tuition beyond the restraint for the first time in five years."

Eastern Michigan raised tuition on it's students by almost 8 percent.

Although she opened her remarks with an apology, Interim EMU President Kim Schaetzel justified the increase in tuition this way:

"Eastern Michigan has held tuition down more than any other public university in this state over the last seven years," said Schaetzel. "That is why, despite this year's increase -Eastern continues to be ranked 13th out of 15 public universities when it comes to tuition costs."

Both schools will forfeit $1 million each in state "performance funding" in lieu of higher tuition dollars.

Gov. Rick Snyder introduced the tuition "cap" concept -- linking it to performance funding -- back in 2012.