UM Board of Curators lower Mizzou student housing and dining rates

The University of Missouri Board of Curators approved a 3.5 percent decrease in room and board costs at the Columbia campus at its meeting Thursday.

Some Mizzou students who live in a residence hall and are on a meal plan could save about $350 a year, paying less than $1,000 a month for the 2018-2019 school year.

“This goes in line with our strategy to try to find additional ways to cut the costs of attending the University of Missouri,” said MU spokesperson Christian Basi. “It breaks down those barriers that we are consistently hearing about across the country when it comes to affordability and tuition at universities.”

Last year, Mizzou students paid about $10,070 a year for room and board. Next school year students will pay about $9,720 to live on campus. The curators also approved as much as a two percent increase in housing and dining rates for the other three campuses Thursday.

Basi said the university has been working to attract more students to live in residence halls, including graduate students. Several empty halls remained vacant this year due to a drop in enrollment numbers. He said the university is expecting to fill all of its residence halls next school year.

The UM System is facing $80 million in funding cuts from the state based on the proposed budget. Basi said residence hall rates aren’t funded through public money.

“We’ve been able to take a look at some of the areas that we can and have direct control over and been able to make adjustments that are in favor of students’ pocketbooks,” he said.

The curators meet in Columbia again Friday at 9 a.m.