By Dylan Whitely, Senior Reporter
The cost of room and board has gone up this year for Northwestern students.
The cost of dormitory rooms and meal plans both increased this year for the first time since the 2019-2020 school year.
“Luckily we were able to go a couple of years without an increase in our room rates,” said Dr. David Pecha, Northwestern’s executive vice president. “With the current year that we’re in, the cost of materials and supplies and things like that, we did have to go up on them.”
The university remains affordable for students despite the cost hikes, Pecha said.
“Several years back, we were highlighted by an organization that tracks university costs as one of the most affordable schools in America for having reasonable room and board rates,” Pecha said. “I know if you compare our room and board rates to other campuses in Oklahoma, our costs are less than they are, and we want those costs to be as low as they can.”
The university tries to keep rates affordable for students because of all the other costs that go into attending a university, Pecha said. Dormitory costs are still cheaper than most rental properties, and the cost per meal on a meal plan is less than the cost of going to a restaurant, Pecha said.
Although room rates have gone a couple years without increasing, meal plan rates have increased every year during the last three academic years. This is because the university’s food service provider, Chartwells, has had increasing food costs.
“Basically our increase in our board is just a pass-through of what Chartwells has to charge based on what their costs have gone up,” Pecha said.
Pecha said students and university employees have continued to provide feedback on the company’s service.
“There’s a student food advisory committee that meets every semester and gives feedback to the university and Chartwells on the selection of food,” Pecha said. “Chartwells has been very receptive to the student group and to make changes to menu items that the students ask about.”
Although the rates of room and board have increased, the tuition rate did not go up this school year, although other schools around the state have increased their tuition costs. Northwestern hasn’t increased tuition rates in two years.
The university has been able to keep costs reasonable for students even though the university has faced rising costs of its own during the last few years, especially with the coronavirus pandemic, Pecha said.
Expenses such as health insurance, gasoline, utilities and risk insurance have increased, and university officials hope an increase in enrollment will offset those additional costs and prevent the need for a tuition increase. Pecha said no students have called him to complain about the room and board cost increases.