PARKERSBURG - The West Virginia University at Parkersburg Board of Governors Wednesday approved a drop in graduation application fees and an affordable tuition rates policy for some local out-of-state students.
The board approved a move to drop the college's $25 graduation application fee down to $5 for certificates or associate degrees and $10 for graduation applications. For students who apply to graduate with more than one degree at the same time, the highest fee would be assessed.
Anthony Underwood, vice president of student services for WVU-P, said the reduced fees would be applied for students graduating in December, and students who already paid the higher fee for their December graduation would receive a refund of the difference.
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West Virginia University at Parkersburg Board of Governors President Joe Campbell speaks during Wednesday’s board meeting.
The board Wednesday also approved Policy E-58, Affordable Tuition Program. The policy sets lower tuition rates for students in nearby Ohio counties in certain degree programs. Those rates are slightly above the in-state rates for those programs, but about 40 percent cheaper than the full out-of-state tuition.
The border counties included in the policy are Athens, Guernsey, Meigs, Monroe, Morgan, Noble and Washington.
The programs covered by the policy are Business Administration (B.A.S.), which includes Business Information Technology, Financial Management, Management and Marketing and Public Relations; Business Administration (B.S.), which includes Accounting and General Business; Criminal Justice; Elementary Education; Information Systems (Mainframe Computing and Software Engineering Options), which includes Network Engineering, Management and Technology; Multi-Disciplinary Studies; Regents Bachelor of Arts; and associate programs in Engineering Technology, which includes Drafting, Electronics, Industrial, Mechanical and Specialized; Energy Assessment and Management Technology; Machining Technology 17; Multi-Craft Technology; Solar Energy Technology; and Welding Technology.
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In Brief
The West Virginia University at Parkersburg Board of Governors unanimously approved a reduction in graduation application fees and the college's Affordable Tuition Program for students in nearby Ohio counties.
The board approved a move to drop the college's $25 graduation application fee to $5 for certificates or associate degrees and $10 for graduation applications.
The proposed rates are $2,400 per semester or $200 per credit hour for certificate or associate degree programs, $2,460 per semester or $205 per credit hour for bachelor's degree programs, and $70 per credit hour for early admissions programs.
The rates would apply for spring 2012 enrollment.
The policy must now move on to the West Virginia Council for Community and Technical College Education for approval at the council's Oct. 20 meeting.
Underwood said similar "metro-rate" programs exist at several state community and technical institutions in West Virginia. Mountwest Community and Technical College provides a $230 per credit hour metro rate for students in Gallia, Jackson, Lawrence, Meigs, Pike, and Scioto counties in Ohio and Carter, Elliott, Floyd, Greenup, and Johnson counties in Kentucky.
West Virginia Northern Community and Technical College offers a metro rate of $190 per credit hour for students from Allegheny, Beaver, Butler, Washington and Greene counties in Pennsylvania as well as to students from Columbiana and Washington counties in Ohio.
In Marietta, Washington State Community College offers rates of $168.50 per credit hour to West Virginia students.
Many area colleges also offer reciprocity, or in-state rates for out-of-state students, for specific programs.
"These rates would bring us in line with other colleges in the area," Underwood said. "Our goal would be to recruit students in those areas who would not already qualify for reciprocity."
The board unanimously approved both the reduction in graduation fees and the Affordable Tuition Program.
"I see this as a way we can hopefully grow our student population," said board member Jamie Six.
