Tuition at Kent State increased by 3.5 percent this semester, the maximum hike allowed by state law. Thus, the yearly instructional fee at Kent State has reached about $7,560, making the total tuition (including additional fees) for undergraduate students $9,030.

These additional fees fund programs like student media, the Student Center and the theater department, said Denise Zelko, associate vice president for university budget and financial analysis. Basically, the fees students pay allow these programs to operate.

According to the Undergraduate Admissions Office, the total undergraduate and graduate enrollment at Kent State is greater than 23,000 students. This means the university is projected to make $33.6 million in additional fees to fund programs during this academic year.

However, different programs get varying amounts of funding. While Recreation Services gets $216 per student and the Health Center gets $132 per student, programs like athletics get $542 per student.

University officials were either unavailable or unwilling to explain the reasons behind these differences.

Contact administration reporter Nick Glunt at [email protected].