MARYVILLE, Mo. –  Tuition will remain the same for the upcoming year at Northwest Missouri State University.

Northwest’s Board of Regents, during its regular meeting Monday, unanimously approved a zero percent increase of the University’s tuition for the 2016-2017 academic year while also approving a package of fees to enhance the campus’ infrastructure and cultural climate.

Northwest’s tuition will remain $180.61 per credit hour for in-state undergraduate students and $391.29 for out-of-state undergraduate students. For graduate students, tuition is $252.86 for in-state students and $505.72 for out-of-state students.

“One of the things that we continue to be proud of is that we’ve had the lowest tuition increase in the nation over the last six years,” Northwest Vice President of Finance Stacy Carrick told the Board. “Many of these factors play into our decisions as we move forward with tuition and fees and room and board rates.”

In addition to approving the University’s recommendation to hold tuition for undergraduate and graduate in-state and out-of-state residents, Regents approved the University’s proposed and Student Senate-approved fees to support implementation of a campus master plan ($20 per credit hour), technology upgrades ($2 per credit hour) and enhancing the campus climate ($2 per credit hour).

Additionally, the Board voted to hold room rates and increase meal plans by an average of 2.2 percent, depending on the range of meal plans students may select.

Among the curriculum changes approved by the Board, Northwest will replace the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) requirement for English graduate programs with a writing sample and a statement of intent to more accurately evaluate potential students’ readiness for graduate work. The Board also voted to eliminate the wait period to supersede a course.