UW Trustees Examine Room and Board Fees

January 25, 2008

Factors contributing to proposed small increases in housing and board costs were explained today (Friday) during a meeting of the University of Wyoming Board of Trustees in Cheyenne.

To cover projected rate expense hikes for Residence Life and Dining Services (RLDS) for fiscal year 2008-2009, room and board fees in the residence halls are proposed to increase by 5.9 percent and apartment rent by slightly more than 2 percent. Trustees are scheduled to vote on the proposal during their meeting scheduled March 6-8.

As an auxiliary department, RLDS is financially self-supporting and must generate revenues to support all expenses, Vice President for Administration Phill Harris explained. Room, board and rent are the three major revenue components of the RLDS budget, while the three major costs are salaries and benefits, utilities, and food costs.

The proposed rate increase also incorporates additional revenue that will be used to pay debt service for the planned renovations to White and Downey Halls. The latest fee increases include salary and benefit adjustments that reflect UW's request to bring staff to the 2009 market rate.

"It is necessary to increase room and board rates to generate the anticipated $375,000 needed to fund the RLDS increase for fiscal year 2009," Harris said.

To balance the revenues to account for these increased expenses, the proposal calls for residence hall room and board fees to increase by 5.9 percent, and apartment rent fees by 2.1 percent.

If approved, residence hall room charges beginning in the 2008-2009 academic year would range from $3,249 for a double room ($183 above this year's rates) to $5,014 for the best single room, (a $98 increase).

Monthly apartment rental rates would range from $507 (an $11 increase) for one bedroom at Summit View to $867 (no fee increase) for three bedrooms at River Village.

All meal plans would increase nearly 6 percent. Costs for the unlimited access plan would be $4,361 ($245 more than this year's rates), the 15 meals per week plan would be $3,742 (a $192 increase) and the 12 meals per week plan would be $3,418 (a $183 increase).

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