MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — More good news for Moore County college students. A week after Motlow College announced there would be no tuition increase for the upcoming semester, Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro followed suit.

Middle Tennessee State University’s Board of Trustees on Tuesday voted to keep tuition and program services fees flat for the coming academic year this fall. The board unanimously approved the administration’s recommendation for a zero percent increase in undergraduate tuition and program services fees, as well as a zero percent increase in graduate and out-of-state tuition.  

Trustee Joey A. Jacobs, chair of the board’s Finance and Personnel Committee, said the action aligned with Gov. Bill Lee’s state budget for the 2022-23 fiscal year, which was approved by the General Assembly and provides additional state support for higher education.

A full-time, in-state undergraduate student taking 15 credit hours this fall will continue to pay $3,852 in tuition and $944 in program services fees each semester, for a total of $4,796. An out-of-state full-time undergraduate student will continue to pay this fall $14,792 each semester in tuition and program services fees.

In other actions, trustees approved a new compensation plan for faculty and staff. The governor’s budget provided only partial funding for MTSU employee raises, with the additional funding coming from within the university and its campus departments. This funding will allow:   

• Increases in salaries for full- and part-time benefits-eligible employees to federally prescribed minimums.
• A 2% cost-of-living allowance increase for full- and part-time benefits-eligible employees, with a $1,000 minimum.  
• Market adjustments for full- and part-time benefits-eligible employees to current salary ranges to bring employees up from 2014-15 to 2020-21 levels.

In other actions, trustees approved:

• 28 faculty candidates recommended for tenure and 49 candidates for promotion, effective Aug. 1.
• the appointment of Jarrett Decker as the chairholder of the Joey A. Jacobs Chair of Excellence in Accounting. The chair was created through a gift by Jacobs before he became a trustee.
• a 3% increase in rates for on-campus residence halls and apartments.
• the creation of a Bachelor of Science in Cybersecurity.
• graduate student Andrew “Drew” Carpenter for a one-year term as student trustee, replacing Gabriela Jaimes. He completed his undergraduate degree in May 2021, with a major in community and public health and a minor in music, and is pursuing his graduate degree in business administration with a concentration in health care administration with an anticipated graduation date of August 2023.

The fall semester will begin at MTSU on August 22. To apply, click here. •

{The Lynchburg Times is the only locally-owned newspaper in Lynchburg and also the only woman-owned newspaper in Tennessee. We cover Metro Moore County government, Jack Daniel’s Distillery, Nearest Green Distillery, Tims Ford State Park, Motlow State Community College, Moore County High School, Moore County Middle School, Lynchburg Elementary, Raider Sports, plus regional and state news.}