Modest tuition and fee increases for students attending West Liberty University have been approved for the upcoming 2012-13 school year by the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission today.

For West Virginia residents, the base increase will be approximately $26 per month for the fall semester. For metro-rate students in Ohio and Pennsylvania, the increase will be approximately $53 per month for the fall semester.

An increase in the University’s capital fee, which will be used to help fund a new health science building, will be implemented during the spring semester and will equate to approximately a 5% increase (combined average for in-state and metro-rate) over the fall semester fee. The health science facility will house WLU’s new physician assistant graduate program and its expanding programs in nursing, dental hygiene, and the health sciences.

West Liberty was recognized for its strong student-retention and graduation rates, both among the highest in West Virginia public institutions. The University has increased its scholarships to students by 160% over the past 5 years, the largest increase in West Virginia’s public system.

President Robin C. Capehart stated, “We are very appreciative of the support provided by the Higher Education Policy Commission. We interpret their actions as a very positive affirmation of West Liberty’s commitment to providing a high quality education within a realistically affordable tuition and fee structure. The investment that the University is making in scholarships and in our new state-of-the-art health science building will provide long-term dividends to our students and to this region’s economy and quality of life.”