RICHMOND, Ky. — The Eastern Kentucky University Board of Regents approved a $379.5 million budget for the 2022 fiscal year at its June 17 meeting. Among the largest in new investments to promote college affordability, access and success for students is nearly $6 million set aside to fund the EKU BookSmart program. For the first time in the institution’s history, new and returning EKU undergraduates will receive all textbooks and required course materials available for the first day of fall semester classes in August at no additional cost to students.
An investment of $4.9 million will reallocate funding for additional 2021-22 scholarships. New 2022 fiscal year investments also offer increased support for eCampus programs, employee base salary increases, faculty promotions, a Center for STEM Excellence, student athletic opportunities, a new “one-stop-shop” and a call center for centralized student support services and additional diversity, equity and inclusion resources.
The board also set 2021-22 tuition, housing, dining and fee rates. EKU followed the Council for Postsecondary Education (CPE) parameters and limited a 2021-22 tuition increase to 2% or $8 per credit hour ($93 per semester for a full-time, in-state, undergraduate student). University housing and dining rates will increase in aggregate by about 2% for housing; and about 1.2% for dining per contractual requirements. Even with these modest increases, EKU’s overall cost of attendance will still decrease with the removal of textbook costs averaging $1,200 a year that will now be covered through the BookSmart program.
