A proposed increase to the grant-in-aid fee will be voted on at the next Board of Trustees meeting.

The meeting will take place 1 p.m. Friday in the Grand Ballroom of the Martin Luther King, Jr. University Union.

Currently, the grant in aid fee is $15.76. According to the board report, there is a proposed increase of $.24, making the fee $16 for summer 2018, fall 2018 and spring 2019.

For those choosing a seven meal plan, there is a proposed increase of $64, making it $4,381. For a 10 meal plan option, the proposed increase is $67 for a total of $4,577. The 12 meal plan option would increase by $70 for a proposed price of $4,750. A 15 meal plan option would increase by $73 if approved, for a proposed change to $5,215.

An unlimited meal plan option, which would include 55 dining center meals per week, plus $150 dining dollars per semester for students, will be up for approval at the meeting. If approved, it would be $5,215.

Also set to be voted on is a new master’s program in athletic training. In the board report, it states that because of the “evolution of the profession, the education, training and preparation of future athletic training professionals,” the preparation of future athletic training professionals also continues to evolve.

The Commission on the Accreditation of Athletic Training Education, or CAATE, recently set forth new educational standards, including the transition from an entry-level bachelor’s degree to a professional master’s degree. By the fall of 2022, all CAATE accredited programs must be transitioned to a master’s degree, according to the board report.

The last class of students able to take the Board of Certification examination at Eastern will begin in fall 2018, as they graduate in Spring 2022.

There are currently about 20 professional graduate accredited programs in the U.S.

“The master’s degree in athletic training will prepare students for a variety of employment settings within the profession, including intercollegiate and secondary school athletics, outpatient orthopedic clinics, physician extenders, military, civil service, fine arts and health care supply sales,” state the board report. “The degree would draw students who have completed bachelor’s degrees and decided to change career paths to EIU for advanced education.”

If approved, the two-and-a-half year program would enroll up to 40 students upon full implementation.

The proposal has already been approved by the Council on Graduate Studies.

The News staff can be reached at 581-2812 or dennewsdesk@gmail.com