Dear OU Community,
Three years ago this summer, we embarked on a transformative era of excellence at the University of Oklahoma. Launched in July 2020, our “Lead On, University” Strategic Plan has energized us to seize new opportunities while staying grounded in the countless strengths that make us unique. Through the lens of our Strategic Plan, we have made foundational investments that are recalibrating our future in ways that will change lives in abundance for generations to come.
As we continue charting the course, we have remained loyal to a principle that has guided us from our very beginning: to be a life-changing place of opportunity for our students – a promise that relies on being both accessible and extraordinary. Our pledge to be affordable must harmonize with our relentless pursuit of excellence – otherwise, we risk being caught from behind by other institutions and states that are aggressively investing in their own futures. OU must remain a place that keeps the American dream alive, particularly for any Oklahoma student with the talent and tenacity to get an OU education. We’re very proud of the progress we’ve made in recent years, but to maximize OU’s potential, together we must do much more.
This week, the OU Board of Regents approved a tuition and mandatory fee increase for the coming academic year:
Raising tuition is never easy, and we arrived at this decision after careful consideration. This year’s increase will again generate funds that will amplify the world-class experience our students seek when they come to OU. Guided by the Strategic Plan, over the past three years, we’ve made remarkable strides to further our impact while channeling investments that augment the student experience. On the Norman campus, we’ve grown full-time faculty by 6%, including 34 strategic faculty hires; nearly doubled Career Services staff; decreased graduate assistant student fees by $3,840 per year through fee cuts; increased tuition waivers such that the average annual net tuition and fees charged to resident undergraduates declined by $650, or 6%; and much more.
Since launching “Lead On,” the university has also funded strategic priorities that support our pursuit of attaining status in the Association of American Universities – a prestigious coalition of tier one research universities. These key investments include increasing sponsored research expenditures to record levels at OU, hiring more top-tier faculty, and supporting a much-needed salary increase for our faculty and staff.
Asking students and families to contribute more is not something we take lightly, so we’ve taken deliberate steps in recent years to alleviate the impact. We’re approaching this in a manner that not only maintains accessibility for students with the greatest financial need but also enhances our investment in these individuals. Our goal is to ensure that an OU education remains available to all, and as a result, we have witnessed tangible outcomes. Specifically, compared to five years ago, the average annual cost of tuition and fees, after factoring in discounts, has decreased by 6% for residents and increased less than 1% for nonresidents. We’ve also cut costs – over the last five years, we identified and saved approximately $140 million on a recurring basis from our Norman campus operating budget.
We continue to prioritize need-based aid, which has grown 48% in the last five years, and we are determined to increase its availability even more. Need-based aid is a major component of our $2 billion fundraising campaign we launched last fall, which designates $500 million toward scholarships and student support. In fall 2019, we launched the Crimson Commitment, which covers tuition and most fees for all Oklahoma students with family incomes less than $60,000. This past academic year, we launched an initiative to enhance transparency around how fee dollars are spent, helping students and families better understand what is reflected on their bursar bills.
We consistently strive to act as responsible custodians of our resources and our sacred purpose. We recognize that every decision carries real consequences, which is why a dedicated group of OU administrators has engaged in extensive discussion with student leaders. Fall and spring meetings were held to gain a deeper understanding of how a tuition and fee increase would impact students. We express our gratitude for and draw inspiration from the thoughtfulness and empathy displayed by these student leaders as they advocated for the well-being of their peers during this undertaking.
This truly is a pivotal moment for our university, our state, and larger society. Our “Lead On” Strategic Plan signals our collective resolve to harness over 130 years of excellence to bring our most ambitious dreams to life – a commitment that has become more vital than ever before, in light of the rapid pace of change surrounding us and the promising opportunities that lie ahead. Implementing this tuition and mandatory fee increase will secure a stable funding source to support our strategic priorities and upward momentum for years to come.
If you have any questions or concerns regarding funding a tuition increase, please contact our professionals in the Student Financial Center, who stand ready to help as you seek financial aid and create a plan to fund the upcoming year. Additionally, we have created an FAQ page to address any questions you may have while preparing for your return to OU.
May you all have a safe and enjoyable summer, and we are eager to see you soon for the fall semester.
Live On, University,
Joseph Harroz, Jr.
President
