Eastern’s Board of Trustees unanimously approved increases for student tuition per credit hour, student fees and housing and dining costs for the 2023-24 academic year.

Tuition has increased by $6.47, total $330.10, for new Illinois resident undergraduate students, and $7.89, total $323.63, for continuing undergraduate students.

Tuition will increase by $8.09, total $412.63, for new out-of-state undergraduates and by $9.86, total $404.68, for continuing out-of-state undergraduate students.

Illinois resident graduate students’ tuition will increase by $6.59, total $335.85, and out-of-state by $15.82, total $806.04.

Six student fees were unanimously approved to be adjusted by either increasing or decreasing the fee.

The one decreased fee is the union operating fee. The fee is decreasing by $4.46, totaling the fee to $23.40.

The athletic fee is increasing by $2.13 ($16.60), Lantz/O’Brien operations fee increasing by $0.90 ($10.68), student recreation operations fee increasing by $1.25 ($8.04), Grant-in-Fee fee increasing by $2.85 ($21.82) and campus improvement fee is increasing by $1.48 (16.23).

In total ,the decreasing and increasing fees will cost students an additional $4.15 each semester for the 2023-24 academic year.

The dining meal plans will all increase by 4.5% beginning in the fall 2023 semester.

The 7 Meal Plan Option will increase by $216 totaling to $5,010 per semester.

The 10 Meal Plan Option will increase by $225 totaling to $5,233.

The 12 Meal Plan Option will increase by $234 totaling to $5,431.

The 15 Meal Plan Option will increase by $257 totaling to $5,962.

Housing costs per semester will increase for the 2023-24 academic year beginning in the fall for a majority of the housing options, per the Board’s unanimous approval.

Double rooms as a single will increase by 5.88%, $50, totaling to $900.

Deluxe double rooms will remain costing $450.

Triple rooms as double in Lawson and Andrews Hall will increase by 55.56%, $250, totaling to $700.

The large increase is due to Lawson and Andrews triple rooms being approximately 41 percent larger than other triples, according to the report to the Trustees given by Paul McCann, Eastern’s treasurer.

The summer 2024 semester room and board cost will increase approximately by 4.5% across the board.

For four weeks, singles increased by $50, totaling $1,163, and doubles increased by $40, totaling $930.

For six weeks, singles increased by $75, totaling $1,744, and doubles increased by $60, totaling $1,394.

For eight weeks, singles increased by $100, totaling $2,325, and doubles increased by $80, totaling $1,855.

The University Apartments will increase approximately 4.5% across the board.

For 10 month contracts, efficiency apartments will increase by $230, totaling to $5,260, per semester, and one bedroom apartments will increase by $240, totaling to $5,520.

For per month contracts, efficiencies will increase by $23, totaling to $526, and one bedrooms will increase by $24, totaling to $552.

The new per month rates will be in effect starting Aug. 1.

University Court housing rates will also increase approximately by 4.5%.

The following increases and costs are based on per resident, per semester, and based on double occupancy.

For the 2023-24 academic year, University Court apartments will increase by:

• 2 bedroom, 1 bath, no balcony; increase $120, total $2,796
• 2 bedroom, 1 bath, balcony; $128, $2,965
• 2 bedroom, 1 ½ bath, no balcony; $130, $3,009
• 2 bedroom, 1 ½ bath, balcony; $134, $3,116
• 1 bedroom, 1 bath, no balcony; $139, $3,231
• Studio; $114, $2,648
• 3 bedroom, 1 bath; $153, $3,542

For fall 2023 semester only contracts:

• 2 bedroom, 1 bath, no balcony; increase $132, total $3,076
• 2 bedroom, 1 bath, balcony; $141, $3,264
• 2 bedroom, 1 ½ bath, no balcony; $142, $3,308
• 2 bedroom, 1 ½ bath, balcony; $148, $3,428
• 1 bedroom, 1 bath, no balcony; $153, $3,554
• Studio; $125, $2,912
• 3 bedroom, 1 bath; $168, $3,895

One adjusted usage charge per semester was increased for two bedroom apartments as a single. The increase is $23 totaling to $528 added on top of the regular two bedroom apartment cost.

For summer 2024 monthly rate increases based on per person with double occupancy:

• 2 bedroom, 1 bath, no balcony; increase $23, total $528
• 2 bedroom, 1 bath, balcony; $25, $564
• 2 bedroom, 1 ½ bath, no balcony; $24, $558
• 2 bedroom, 1 ½ bath, balcony; $25, $579
• 1 bedroom, 1 bath, no balcony; $23, $528
• Studio; $23, $529
• 3 bedroom, 1 bath; $26, $592

The Trustees held their annual officer elections during today’s meeting.

Trustee Joyce Madigan will remain Chair of the Trustees.

Trustee Christopher Hicks will remain Vice Chair of the Trustees.

Trustee Audrey Edwards will remain secretary.

Trustee Barb Baurer will remain Member Pro Tem.

Mike Hutchinson, Eastern’s assistant comptroller for accounting, was elected to be the Board’s treasurer.

All positions were voted unanimously.

The Board welcomed a new Trustee to her first in-person meeting Julie Everett. 

Everett’s first meeting was a special meeting through Zoom on Feb. 3 when the Trustees approved the 13th president to be Jay Gatrell.

Everett is an Eastern alum and said she thought her education here opened up many doors for her.

“I seeked my MBA here at EIU, and it was a wonderful experience,” Everett said. “My passions, both professionally and through volunteering, would be supporting youth, but then also creating opportunities for individuals who may be underserved. I see that sometimes [students] can also be very, very excited to be in this education space. I absolutely believe that [higher education] is a gateway for so many big things in someone’s life. I feel like my MBA is what opened all the doors [for me].”

The Trustees also introduced Eastern’s new General Counsel Austin Hill at his first BOT meeting on day four of starting his job at Eastern.

Hill said he is from the University of Illinois.

“I’m coming from the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana, where I was assistant general counsel for about three years,” Hill said. “Before that I was in practice for about seven years, and I’m a native of the Champaign area.”

Madelyn Kidd can be reached at 581-2812 or at DENeic@gmail.com.