Students might have to pay more to "Live On" next year, if the MSU Board of Trustees votes Thursday to raise on-campus housing rates.
Basic room and board for residence halls could increase by 5.25 percent per year, or $300, and monthly rent for university apartments could increase by 3.3 percent per month, or about $20.
The proposed increases are typical of past years, said Angela Brown, director of University Housing.
"It still puts Michigan State in the low end of room and board rates for the state of Michigan and also in the Big Ten," she said.
MSU's increase would, for example, increase a double room with a 15-meal plan to $6,044 per year, up from this year's $5,744. A one-bedroom apartment would cost $600 per month, up from $581, and a two-bedroom apartment would be $665 per month, as opposed to this year's $644.
Most of the increases are due to inflation and the additional costs of operating the halls and apartments, such as labor costs, food, supplies and services, Brown said.
The cost of utilities and Internet service pushes the residence hall rates up as well, said Chuck Gagliano, assistant vice president for Housing & Food Services. But the university will spend less on utilities and Internet service for University Apartments because University Village is closing down, Gagliano said.
The university has about $20 million in maintenance projects planned for next year, including installing and repairing elevators, roofs, heating and ventilating systems and making safety improvements.
"There's a lot of stuff behind the walls that people don't see necessarily that we have to keep up to standards," Gagliano said. "There's also, of course, the renovation of Snyder and Phillips (halls), and that's a big driver for this particular year."
Despite university officials' satisfaction with the increase, it can have a different effect on students.
"Any increase in cost is annoying to a college student, because you're dealing with so many costs as it is," theater freshman Maisie Baubie said.
Trustee Melanie Foster said the university is facing many financial challenges, the greatest of which are increased labor costs, health-care benefits and energy costs. Because of these costs, the university has been forced to raise rates.
But the large size of MSU's housing system means the economies of scale come into effect, she said, saving the university money because of volume buying and a centralized food service department.
"Other institutions contract out their food services," Foster said. "We even have our own bakery. That keeps our costs down."
Josh Jarman contributed to this report.
