If you just had a child graduate a few weeks ago, I'm sure that you have going over college brochures and tabulating costs. Well, good news.  You can go to school right here in town for the exact same price as you did last year!

Cameron University tuition and fees unchanged in new budget

The approval of Cameron University’s operating budget for 2019-20 by the university’s governing board means good news for current and incoming students. Tuition and mandatory fees will not increase for FY 20, pending approval by the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education. The University of Oklahoma, Cameron University and Rogers State University Board of Regents earlier this week approved a $45,988,780 operating budget with more than $34 million earmarked for student instruction, academic support, student scholarships and tuition waivers, and student services during the upcoming academic year.

“Thanks to a much-appreciated increase of $315,628 in our state appropriation, as well as continuing to identify and implement cost efficiencies, Cameron University’s tuition and mandatory fees will remain at current rates,” says Dr. John McArthur, President. “Cameron remains committed to providing an outstanding learning experience at an exceptional value. In addition to maintaining tuition and mandatory fees at their present levels, we will continue to offer expansive financial assistance to students as they work toward degree completion.”

The FY 2020 budget reflects Cameron’s commitment to increasing and improving student success and student learning inside and outside the classroom while continuing to be an engaged partner with common and career technology education, business, industry, civic and government organizations.

 Cameron’s administrative expenses are budgeted at 9.7 percent of all expenses, well below the administrative cost guideline of 13 percent for regional universities established by the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education. The university continues its commitment to maximizing the portion of the budget allocated to instruction, academic support, student services, and student scholarships and tuition waivers while minimizing the portion of the budget used by administrative departments.

Compared to peer institutions in surrounding states, Cameron’s tuition and fee rates are 17 percent lower. Additionally, The College Board reports that the national average for in-state tuition and fees for public, four-year institutions is $10,230 per year. Cameron’s FY20 rate of $6,450 for 30 credit hours is considerably less.

Initiatives that will be supported by the budget are closely aligned with the university core values and goals in “Plan 2023: Ambitious Goals for Growth, Innovation and Engagement,” Cameron’s current five-year strategic plan. The actions and initiatives to advance those goals for 2019-2020 include offering concurrent instruction opportunities in area K-12 schools, increasing student financial support, increasing registration for the Oklahoma’s Promise scholarship program, and preparing to host Oklahoma Research Day in Spring 2021 and Spring 2022. Additional initiatives include launching a new university website in January 2020, and preparing for a Higher Learning Commission (HLC) reaffirmation of accreditation visit scheduled for March 2021

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