College Tuition | Graphic by Diana Jaber | The Wright State Guardian
Wright State University (WSU) is known in Ohio as an institution that provides a top-notch post-secondary education for an affordable price, but it may be unknown as to how tuition dollars are spent.
Bursar’s Office
“When a student applies, they also complete their FAFSA application and any potential scholarships that will drive the initial cost of tuition down,” WSU President Sue Edwards said. “The Bursar’s Office is where this money is handled and Burhan Kawosa, who oversees this department, does an excellent job.”
Edwards said that the Bursar’s Office not only handles student tuition dollars coming in, but also handles the distribution of dollars being given to students.
“As we saw with the HEERF [Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund] dollars, we have given out almost $10 million to those students in need during the coronavirus. The majority of these students are classified as having high-need so this money was instrumental in helping them during these unprecedented times,” Edwards said.
How is it spent?
When it comes to the expenditure of student tuition dollars, Edwards says that the majority of the funds are spent paying the salary and payroll of the institution’s faculty and staff.
“There are many avenues in which tuition dollars are spent,” Edwards said. “The largest avenue is in paying our faculty and staff. The biggest expense we actually have at the university, is in fact salaries.”
While Edwards acknowledges that salaries are the biggest burden to Wright State’s budget, she also acknowledged the importance of keeping top-notch education and education services for those in the Raider community.
“When you look at my three R’s [Recruitment, Retention, Relationships], It’s not just about bringing a student in. It’s about ensuring that our students have access to all of the services that are necessary in making them successful,” Edwards said.
In this regard, Edwards highlighted that student tuition dollars are additionally spent on the support networks that contribute significantly to the success of students at WSU.
“Tutors, advisors, mental health professionals, medical professionals… all of these are paid for by student tuition dollars and are absolutely essential for us as an institution,” Edwards said.
Affordability
Edwards also emphasized WSU’s commitment to keeping tuition rates affordable for those wishing to attend the university.
“We really are one of the lowest tuition institutions in the state of Ohio, and I believe that contributes significantly to those in the area choosing to attend Wright State opposed to other peer institutions,” Edwards said.
WSU prospective student Kassidy Smarsh of Troy, Ohio says that although Wright State doesn’t have much of an off-campus social life, she is interested in the university because of the overall savings as compared to peer institutions.
“I know that Wright State provides low tuition rates and I think that when I go to make my final decision on which college to attend, it may be the biggest factor in my decision. As much as I love having a social life, I have to be practical too. Wright State is a real option for those here in the Dayton area to get an education for an affordable price,” Smarsh said.
WSU alumnus Christian Henderson, who graduated from WSU’s Theatre Studies program in 2017, echoed the importance of low-cost tuition at Wright State, citing it as a determining factor in his choice to attend the university.
“The cost of tuition at Wright State played a huge role in my decision to go there,” Henderson said. “I had three different options to pick from, and Wright State best fit what I could safely afford.”
While Henderson praised WSU for keeping tuition rates affordable for Dayton area residents, he also stated that he believes one downside to low tuition rates at Wright State is an ‘average’ education in return.
“I don’t believe the education I received at Wright State was anything above the typical college experience, or anything special for that matter, but I do believe that the professors at Wright State do the best that they can do with what they have,” Henderson said. “I’m still glad to have had these experiences.”
Editor’s Note: WSU Chief Operating Officer Greg Sample, the WSU Bursar’s Office, and Burhan Kawosa were all contacted for comments on this story but refused to provide information on student tuition dollars at this time.
