OU Board of Regents approves food, housing increase for students

Amaya Ward / KFOR
·2 min read

NORMAN, Okla. (KFOR) – If you are planning to attend the University of Oklahoma next year, prepare to pay a little more.

The OU Board of Regents voted and approved to increase food and housing rates for students.

Beginning in the 2024-2025 school year housing will increase 6% and students will be charged an additional $230 for the standard meal plan.

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“Initially I’m a little bit upset, but that’s the way the world is,” said Ryan Evans, an OU Student. ‘I feel like inflation and tuition rates rising is just kind of the norm that we’ve come to these days.”

This increase comes after last years 3% tuition spike and some students feel this is adding more stress.

“It was shocking just because freshman year it was already a lot and it took a toll on my family financially,” said Demyah Monroe, an OU Student.

The University says inflation is partly to blame, but they also compared costs to other schools in the SEC and with Oklahoma State University. OU’s costs are currently the 10th highest out of 17 schools.

“They want to keep it to the norm of what like the SEC is and how great and how big it is, so I understand them raising those rates,” said Evans.

However some students said they don’t agree with the decision.

“I think that if we can get some improvements around here that are going to reflect what the SEC has already like Ole Miss, Alabama, Georgia, then I can see some more expenses coming but I haven’t really seen it yet, if I’m going to be honest,” said Ainsley Czarnecki, an OU Student.

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The University sent News 4 a statement in response to the price increases,

“The university is committed to providing safe, high quality, and affordable services while consistently holding a competitive ranking within the SEC in terms of cost and student satisfaction. To that end, the OU Board of Regents approved increases to housing and food rates for the Norman and OU Health Sciences campuses following a thorough review of all room types, amenities and inflationary costs. In comparison to room and board rates for the 16 existing SEC institutions, OU ranks as the tenth highest in the conference.

An additional study was conducted on the current apartment-style living market in Norman. Based on that study, housing contract terms for Traditions Square, reserved for upper-class housing, are being extended to a 10-month contract rather than a 9-month contract.”

Statement from The University of Oklahoma

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