NMU tuition and fee rates to increase slightly

MARQUETTE, Mich. (WLUC) - The Northern Michigan University Board of Trustees approved the 2025-26 tuition and fee rates Thursday morning.

Rates are expected to increase slightly this upcoming academic year. The average resident undergraduate will pay $7,564 per semester beginning this fall, an increase of $367 per semester. Graduate tuition will increase by $36 per credit.

Gavin Leach, vice president for Finance and Administration and interim president, says these tuition increases are based on the preliminary state budgets that have been presented in the House and Senate.

“Because the state budget process has not been finalized, we developed this tuition structure around proposed budgets,” Leach said. “We are also in compliance with the tuition restraint cap in both the House and Senate versions. If that cap is lowered in the final state budget, we will adjust tuition and fees accordingly.”

During the meeting, Leach said NMU is currently planning for strategic investments to remove barriers to student access, the university will boost its support of financial aid and scholarships.

This includes additional support for Northern’s need-based aid and scholarship programs and the relatively new Tuition Advantage, a “last dollar” scholarship that covers the remaining balance after federal, state and institutional funding is applied.

According to Leach, the university also continues to invest significantly in faculty and staff, with funding targeted for annual contractual salary and benefits cost increases and dollars for recently added student success and academic positions.

“What we’ve been doing is investing so we continue to grow, we’ve had three consecutive years of growth and we believe that it’s a combination of the factors that make Northern great, we have affordable tuition, we provide access to our students through our financial aid program and we provide a great living and learning environment on campus and superb faculty and staff and we feel that that’s the package that will keep us moving forward and growing into the future,” Leach said.

“Other increases factored into the tuition model include lab and classroom supplies; inflationary adjustments for software, supplies and travel; and debt service for new academic facilities,” Leach said. “All of these enhance the teaching and learning environment at Northern.”

“We appreciate the budget development efforts that are focused on our students and moving the university forward,” said Missie Holmquist, vice chair and chair of the board’s finance committee.

Trustees also approved a union contract with the Command Officers Association of Michigan (COAM) and ratified the interim president’s contract.

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