Tuition rising for Missouri's universities, but it could have been more

Students at Missouri universities will pay 1 percent more in tuition next school year — but leaders say the increase could have been twice as much.

On Monday the University of Missouri Board of Curators approved a 2.1 percent tuition hike, but university leaders said they will only charge 1 percent more, as part of a deal with legislators who agreed to not cut the university's budget.

The budget bill the legislature passed last week called for core funding to remain at last year's $395.8 million level. The governor has not signed off on that yet, but legislators expect he will.

"Sounds like they kept their end of the deal," said state Rep. Scott Fitzpatrick, a Republican from Shell Knob, who brokered the deal with the university. The deal also allows university officials to raise tuition to the full 2.1 percent if state funding falls through. "Revenues would have to fall off a cliff for that to happen," Fitzpatrick said.

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