I was disappointed that the article General fund covers tuition increase (SN 10/27) did not mention how the spring 2009 tuition increase will affect out-of-state students. Before the current increase, out-of-state students saw a 7.1 percent tuition increase that went into effect for the fall 2008 semester. This increase changed the cost per credit for out-of-state students from $797.15 per credit (upper division) to $853.75. Multiply this by a 12-credit course load, and out-of-state students were paying $679 more per semester. With the newest tuition increase, out-of-state students will see an increase of $679 per semester over the last year.

The newest tuition increase is convincing evidence that university officials do not keep in mind the financial needs of out-of-state students. International and out-of-state students offer a diversity to MSU’s campus and contribute to the school’s reputation as a nationally competitive school. These students offer an increase in revenue for the university and recruiters are encouraged to expand admissions of this group of students. But without more resources and consideration for this vulnerable populous, recruiters will have a hard time attracting and keeping out-of-state students when their tuition has the biggest nominal increase. Without a helping hand, the message MSU is sending to out-of-states students is “Stay at home.”