COLUMBIA — The state has approved the University of Missouri System's request to avoid a fine for raising tuition and required fees 5.5 percent.
The Columbia Daily Tribune reported that David Russell, Missouri's higher education commissioner, said in a letter that the increase is substantially below what the university considered necessary.
Public four-year institutions wanting to increase tuition and fees more than 1.5 percent must seek a waiver from the state to avoid a financial penalty. It's part of a three-year-old law that caps tuition at the consumer price index.
The UM System Board of Curators in January voted to increase tuition and fees by an average of 5.5 percent.
