The EIU student senate reviewed tuition and student fees for the 2025-26 school year at its meeting on Wednesday. Across the board, tuition will increase by 2.75%.  

These changes only apply to incoming students due to Illinois’ truth in tuition law stating that the amount a student is paying will not increase past what they first paid starting their first year.  

The current fee rate per credit hour for U.S. undergraduates is $338.35. The proposed increase of $9.30 would make the price $347.65.  

For non-U.S. undergraduate students, the current rate is $422.94. The proposed increase of $11.63 would bring the total up to $434.56.  

For U.S. graduate students, the current fee rate is $344.25. The new proposed rate has a $11.63 increase making it $353.72.   

Non-U.S. graduates, fees are currently $826.20. The new proposal increases that by $22.73 to $848.93.  

In the 2024-2025 school year, tuition increased by 2.5%.

The raises in fees are to combat financial losses the university is facing.  

“We’re going to be down in certain student categories, particularly in our international graduate students,” Vice President for Business Affairs Matt Bierman said. “Anything that we pass here today or as the board passes will not make up for those losses it will only mitigate the loss.”  

Several individual fees also changed, and rates were attempted to be kept flat.  

“I tried to spread out the pain to keep the rates flat,” Bierman said.  

The Martin Luther King Jr University Union fee is currently $25.20. The new proposed fee would decrease the fee to $24.95.  

The computer technology fee ($6.25) and the computer network fee ($4) are proposed to be eliminated and consolidated into a new information technology fee.   

As it currently stands, the two fees combined would make the total cost per credit hour $10.25, but the proposal would see this amount decrease to $10.15.  

The shuttle bus fee covers the costs of the running of the Panther Shuttle bus. It currently costs $1 per credit hour. The new proposal raises that to $1.20 per credit hour.   

The publications fee, which covers the costs of The Daily Eastern News, is currently $1 per credit hour, according to Bierman. The new proposal would decrease the fee by 1% to 99 cents per credit hour.  

The health service and counseling fee, which is currently $13, is proposed to be decreased by 10 cents to a total of $12.90.  

The campus improvement fee, used to cover costs of campus improvements as well as certain bonds on the food court and renovations at Doudna Fine Arts Center, is currently $16.23 per credit hour. The new proposal would decrease the rate to $16.06 per credit hour.  

The student recreation center fee is $8.25 as a fixed amount, but it’s proposed to increase to $8.66 per credit hour.  

The student legal service fee is currently 45 cents at a fixed rate with the proposed fee increase being 47 cents.   

The fee resolutions have been tabled until the next senate meeting on March 26 in the Martin Luther King Jr. Union’s Arcola-Tuscola room.  

The senate also approved senate resolutions for a 4% increase to the housing and dining rate fee and Career Services budget that was discussed at its last meeting. 

Jason Coulombe can be reached at 581-2812 or at jmcoulombe@eiu.edu.