Penalty Waiver Requests

The Policy on Higher Education Student Funding Act states the Coordinating Board for Higher Education and the Commissioner of Higher Education have some role in reviewing the tuition process. Institutions that increase tuition at rates that exceed the rate of inflation must either return a portion of their state appropriations to the state or must ask the Commissioner to waive the financial penalty in whole or in part.

Missouri Southern State University notified the department on April 25, 2018, of its anticipated 15 percent tuition increase for 2018-19.

Missouri Southern State University was notified on May 10, 2018, by Commissioner Zora Mulligan that the increase would trigger HESFA.

Missouri Southern State University submitted a penalty waiver request on May 22, 2018.

Members of the public had two weeks to submit written comment on this request. The comment period ended at 5 p.m. on June 19. All submitted comments are shared with the institution and the Commissioner may consider the comments in determining whether to grant a waiver.

A meeting was held between the institution and the Commissioner in early July which will also gave Missouri Southern the opportunity to address public comments.