The Grand Valley State University Board of Trustees approved a 3 percent increase in tuition for the 2015-16 academic year at their July 10 meeting.

This decision raises the cost of attending GVSU by $163 per semester, bringing the annual total for a first-time student to $11,078. This is the first year that tuition costs over $11,000, as last year’s bill came in at $10,752.

For lower level undergraduate tuition, a semester will total $5,539. The price tag for upper level tuition is now $5,824, adding $172 per semester.

The 3 percent increase comes in just under Gov. Rick Snyder’s cap of 3.2 percent for public universities. If a university raises their tuition more than 3.2 percent, that university is no longer eligible to receive performance-based aid from the state of Michigan. The only universities to go over the 3.2 percent cap are Oakland University, with an increase of 8.5 percent, and Eastern Michigan University, with a tuition bump of 7.8 percent.

“We will be under the cap,” said Jim Bachmeier, vice president of finance and administration.

According to Bachmeier, GVSU is the sixth least expensive university for tuition costs in Michigan.

“There will be nine schools that will be more expensive than Grand Valley and five schools that will be less expensive,” Bachmeier said. “That places us in the bottom of the middle. We seem to be sinking a little.”

Based on the average tuition fees from 2014, the universities with cheaper tuition are Saginaw Valley State University, Northern Michigan University, Eastern Michigan University, University of Michigan-Flint and Lake Superior State University.

While tuition is rising 3 percent, GVSU’s financial aid is also going up by $2.3 million.

“That’s a 6 percent increase in financial aid,” Bachmeier said. “You’ve probably noted that each of the last several years, our financial aid is going up at two times the rate of our tuition. It enhances one of our strategic priorities, which is access and affordability.”

In addition to the increased cost of tuition, the Board of Trustees previously approved a 2.8 percent increase in housing and dining costs. For a traditional living center, the fee will be $80 more per semester than in 2014. Meal plans will increase by $75, totaling $1,425 per semester.

The Board of Trustees also approved phase two of the additions to the Allendale Campus recreation center. Phase two will add 35,000 square feet to the recreation center and will cost $12.2 million, taken from the campus development fund. The plans include adding locker rooms and three basketball courts, as well as more room for free weights.

“Phase two is the addition of the gymnasiums, offices and locker rooms,” said James Moyer, associate vice president for facilities planning. “The rec center has no locker room facilities. Students that need to use locker rooms actually use one that’s in the Fieldhouse.”

A new solar garden was approved by the Board of Trustees as well. The solar garden will be created in partnership with Consumers Energy, and will sit on farmland already owned by GVSU. The solar garden is expected to produce around two megawatts of power, of which GVSU will receive a quarter.

Consumers Energy will also build a training center for its employees on GVSU land located between the Seidman Center and a GVSU-owned Steelcase building on the Pew Campus. The land is currently a parking lot.

The Board of Trustees meeting marked President Thomas Haas’ 10^th year with the university, which he reflected on in his report. Haas says he is already looking ahead to the upcoming school year.

“Our focus is student success,” Haas said. “The focus is clear in my mind: Teaching, learning connecting. That’s TLC, and it works. That’s the Grand Valley advantage.”