In the last major accomplishments of the 2024 calendar year, the Winthrop University Board of Trustees acted on several significant resolutions during a called meeting on Tuesday, December 17. This meeting was focused on discussions among the Finance Committee on some major items that were sent to the full board for consideration immediately following the committee meeting. Here is a recap of the board action:
First, in the most sweeping action I’ve seen on the tuition and fees front in my time as a university president, the Board of Trustees approved an overhaul to how the institution presents and charges its tuition and fees. Aligned with some of our Phase 1 strategic plan initiatives, the board’s decisions reflect a new and more transparent approach that will help students and their families better understand the charges they encounter as they pursue their 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. We pledged to report annually to the board 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, as you likely know, the cost of operating student housing continues to increase. Most of our cost increases 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.
In a follow-up to action taken in October regarding the Courtyard residence hall, trustees also voted to approve resolutions for a Higher Education Revenue Bond necessary to secure the purchase. The requested acquisition will go before the State’s Joint Bond Review Committee at its Jan. 29 meeting and, if approved, before the State Fiscal Accountability Authority at its Feb. 4 meeting.
WUREF’s current financing for the facility is set to mature in August 2025. University officials anticipate that the required financing will be significantly less than the “not to exceed” amount of $10 million.
In other action, board members approved a $7.8 million contract to Rodgers Builders to replace the HVAC in both Sims Science Building and Dalton Hall and to refresh the lobby areas. The contractor will put in new chemistry labs and a new generator for Sims as well as update the emergency power for Dalton.
Finally, Walker Electric Company was authorized to remove and replace the fire alarm system in Dinkins Hall at a cost of $275,550.
As always, thank you for your interest in the activities of the Winthrop University Board of Trustees.
Edward
Edward A. Serna
President
