Out-of-state students in 601 could still be allowed in-state rates

By Gus Bode

Audit recommendation to be corrected at next week’s BOT meeting

An 11-word addition to the SIU Board of Trustees’ University policy for tuition and fees could fix a policy discrepancy revealed Wednesday by an audit conducted by the Illinois Office of the Auditor General.

A proposal is scheduled to go before the SIU Board of Trustees April 8 to fix what the auditors saw as a $77,000 hole from undercharging out-of-state graduate students enrolled in the 601 continuing enrollment class.

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About 500 students, approximately one-third of those enrolled in 601, live out of state but continue to pay in-state fees for the one-credit-hour course. While this has been University policy since proposed by the Graduate Council in 1997, no corresponding change was made to the board’s documents.

If the board approves the proposal, the section on tuition and fees, which currently states, “Tuition fees are collected in payment for instruction,” will have an additional clause reading, “including continuous enrollment in graduate programs where required by institutional policy.”

John Koropchak, dean of the Graduate School, said the additional wording should conciliate issues raised by the auditors.

“This is a modification to the board policy that is supposed to be in response to the audit report,” Koropchak said. “And it is my understanding that this should correct the inconsistency that was perceived by the auditors.”

Graduate students are required to be continuously enrolled in the University until they present their dissertation, even if all other requirements are completed and they accept a job out of state. The campus policy was originally installed to encourage students who have completed all of the other requirements to continue enrollment paying in-state rates until they are able to finish and receive their master’s or doctoral degrees.

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