State officials have approved a requested tuition increase by Northwest Missouri State University in Maryville.

The University requested a 4.5 percent tuition increase that had to be approved by the state Higher Education Department because University officials were raising tuition beyond the allowed increase rate.

The increase is 1.8 percentage points above the amount normally allowed by the state. Law requires public institutions to limit the increases to the consumer price index or the institutions could lose state aid.

State money accounts for about half of the revenue for Northwest.

Higher Education Director David Russell approved the increased because state funding was down near 11 percent in the last three years while the increase was just .2 percent above the Consumer Price Index.

Students will pay roughly $300 more per year once the is implemented.