Upcoming tuition changes may affect both Missouri Southern students and staff. On Feb. 20, Missouri Southern’s Budget Audit Committee met to discuss the University’s tuition rates.

“The primary purpose of the meeting was to set tuition for fiscal year 2016,” said Mitch McCumber, chairman of the Board’s budget audit comittee. “The committee did pass two proposals.”

The first of the two proposals was to set a new in-state and Lion Pride tuition rate of $177.03 per credit hour — an increase of $1.79 per credit hour. The second proposal was to set out-of-state tuition at $354.06, an increase of $1.06 per credit hour.

The committee presented both proposals to Southern’s Board of Governors during the meeting later that afternoon. After hearing from McCumber, the Board approved both proposals, which will now go into effect beginning with the Fall 2015 semester.

Additionally, the Missouri Southern Staff Senate met Feb. 11 to review the current policy on tuition discounts/fee waivers for full-time staff members. Changes to the current policy were discussed and approved by the Staff Senate.

“Staff Senate has approved some changes to this policy; however, they are not finalized yet,” said Patty Holder, chair of the Staff Welfare Committee. “The revisions will be given to the President’s Council next month for their approval revision.”

According to Robert Froussard, staff senate president, the revisions to the policy involve non-dependent children and domestic partnerships.

Currently, employees eligible for the tuition discount/fee waiver only include those on full-time active status, full-time employees on temporary military activation, spouses and unmarried dependents under age 24 and staff who retired after Jan. 1, 2007, with 15 or more years of service. Employees must complete six months of continuous full-time employment before they can become eligible.

The current policy includes a 75 percent discount on tuition, 100 percent discount on student activity fees, parking fees and health center fees. The recreational fee is also waived 100 percent.

Staff Senate will meet again at 9 a.m. March 11 in the Billingsly Student Center Boardroom. All employees are welcome to attend.