MSU Board approves lowest room and board increase in 19 years

Michigan State University students who live in the residence halls will see an increase in room-and-board rates of 2.5 percent for the 2017-18 academic year, the lowest percentage increase in 19 years.

The MSU Board of Trustees approved the rate adjustment at its April 13 meeting.

With the rate change, the residence hall double room rate for undergraduate students will increase $100 to $4,120 per year. The silver unlimited dining meal plan increases $142 to $5,856 per year. Rates for university apartments -- Spartan Village and University Village -- will increase $14 to $733.

Total residence hall housing and dining costs for next academic year will increase to $9,976.

MSU’s rate remains among the least expensive in the Big Ten.

The basic silver plan provides students unlimited meals at any of the 10 residence hall dining facilities from 7 a.m. to midnight, seven days a week. It also includes the Combo-X-Change, a popular program that allows students to pick up a meal or snack at a food truck, Sparty’s or retail dining location once each weekday.

“Our goal is to enhance the academic experience of our students by surrounding them with the resources they need to be successful,” said Vennie Gore, MSU vice president for auxiliary enterprises. “For about $45 a day, our students enjoy a wealth of amenities, including a safe and secure living environment, as well as access in their neighborhood to all of the resources of the engagement centers -- all for one all-inclusive price.”

This year also marks the opening of the remainder of 1855 Place’s studio, two- and four-bedroom apartments and townhouses. Located on Harrison Road at the site of the old Michigan State Police post, the new housing unit will feature a grocery-lite marketplace, Starbucks, university event ticketing office, Spartan Spirit Shop and university administrative offices.

Following are other items from the board meeting.

• The board authorized to proceed with the demolition of the west wing of the Eppley Building in the Eli Broad College of Business to replace it with a 100,000-square-foot, three-story pavilion, costing $62 million. Including new classrooms, collaborative spaces and an entrepreneurship lab, the new pavilion is funded by gifts to the college.
• Fifty-two students with the highest GPAs at the close of their last semester – the most in the university’s history – received Board of Trustees’ Awards. All 52 students have 4.0 GPAs.
• Administrators presented findings from a new report analyzing MSU student and workforce diversity throughout the past 10 years.
• The board authorized the planning for replacement seating at the Wharton Center. Seating in the Cobb Great Hall (2,401) and Pasant Theatre (585 seats) is original to the building. The board also authorized to proceed with renovations to Wharton Center’s roof and exterior.
• The board authorized to plan for renovations to Cook Hall and Olin Health Center and to proceed with renovations to the Engineering Research Complex. Plans include accessibility improvements to restrooms and installation of an elevator at Cook Hall; space renovations to accommodate the moving of the Counseling Center and the Sexual Assault Program from the Student Services Building to Olin Health Center; and the expansion of space at the Fraunhofer Center for Coatings and Diamond Technologies to allow for increased collaboration, research and service at the Engineering Research Complex.
• The board authorized the planning of renovations to make several campus buildings more energy efficient. Plans include replacing windows and updating roofs and the board authorized to proceed with the resurfacing of Trowbridge Road.