ROCK HILL, SOUTH CAROLINA – In alignment with Winthrop University’s strategic plan initiatives, the Board of Trustees approved an overhaul to how the institution presents and charges its tuition and fees. The board’s decisions on Dec. 17 at a called meeting reflect a new and more transparent approach that will help students and their families better understand the charges they encounter as they pursue degrees at Winthrop.
Board members agreed to a tiered approach to 2025-26 tuition which would be charged on a per credit hour basis. Students enrolled in less than 12 credit hours would pay the same amount as 2024-25 rates. Students enrolled in 12 or more credit hours would pay a per credit hour rate equal to the 2024-25 rate divided by 15. Kevin Butler, CFO and vice president for finance and business affairs, said that part-time students would be paying slightly more than most full-time students, thus incentivizing full-time enrollment and earlier graduation.
In an effort to align pricing, the board approved a move to reduce more than 40 separate tuition prices to only 16. In addition, the technology fee and student activity fee are currently bundled into each tuition price point. Those fees will be extracted from the tuition prices and charged separately along with other mandatory fees, which will provide for better price comparability. In addition, the board approved a standardized tuition discount of 30 percent of published tuition pricing for all approved courses meeting the criteria for discounted tuition. University officials pledged to report annually to the Board of Trustees a list of courses that have been discounted and why.
Students also pay fees to cover the cost of special course materials or unique expenses related to some classes, such as the cost of lab and art supplies, specialized software, etc. These course fees are evaluated annually to determine the need for a fee and whether existing fees should be increased, decreased or eliminated, said Provost Sebastian van Delden. Several special course fees were adjusted for the 2025-26 academic year.
Meanwhile, the cost of operating student housing continues to increase. Most of the cost increases for the university relate to higher utility pricing as well as higher salaries, wages and benefit costs for staff. The university evaluates housing and meal plan pricing annually.
Despite past annual increases, the pricing for Winthrop’s student housing continues to lag behind off-campus housing alternatives.
Board members agreed to increase student housing fees as follows:
*A 2-percent increase was approved for Margaret Nance while board members increased
suite-style fees by 4 percent.
*Courtyard will see a 3 percent increase to keep pace with similar lodging at Campus
Walk.
*If needed for housing in the fall, Roddey Hall will have its rate increased by 4
percent. Even with the 4-percent increase, Roddey will still be Winthrop’s lowest-priced
housing option.
Examining other fees, board members approved the following increases:
*Meal prices will go up by 3.6 percent, a figure that was determined based on the
Consumer Price Index for food away from home in the U.S. South Region.
*The fee for the Wellness Center will increase by 4 percent to cover increased labor
costs, while new student fees will rise $40 for first-time students and $30 for transfer
students to support the rising cost of offering Orientation.
In addition, new fees also will be charged to students who enter housing prior to the lease term.
For more information, contact Judy Longshaw, news and media services manager, at longshawj@winthrop.edu.
