On Friday, Dec. 13, the Eastern Michigan University Board of Regents unanimously voted to increase both the housing and meal plan rates for students at Eastern Michigan University. 

Students living on campus will now, on average, pay 2.94% more for on-campus housing and 2.95% more for university meal plans beginning the fall semester of 2020-2021 academic year. 

The recommendation to increase both the housing and meal plan rates was made to the Board of Regents Investment and Finance Committee during their meeting on the morning of Friday, Dec. 13, and was then subsequently passed unanimously during the regular board meeting held later that day. 

According to the University, the increased housing rates will equate to “$180 per year, or $22.50 per month for all University housing with the exception of the Village complex, which will not increase [in cost].” 

Depending on the residence hall, housing rates will increase from 0 to 3.96%. University apartment rates will also increase, within a range of 2.61 to 4.1% depending on the location of the apartment. 

According to EMU Today, the increase in housing rates will “help address a portion of the deferred maintenance [costs] associated with [the residence halls and apartment complexes].” 

While presenting to the regular board meeting on the minutes of the Finance and Investment Committee; committee chair, Regent Michelle Crumm stated, “The university has worked diligently to keep all costs associated with attending the university affordable”, following her statement on the proposed increase in the housing and meal plan rates. 

This increase in housing comes a little more than a week after the EMU Student Government unanimously passed Resolution 106-12 which asks for the support of the university president and provost in the creation of a Housing Insecurity Fund. Passed on Tuesday, Dec. 3, the resolution would ask for a collaboration between GameAbove, an Eastern Michigan donor group, and the university president, James M. Smith, along with the university provost, Rhonda Longsworth, in creating a Housing Insecurity Fund which would allow Eastern Michigan University students at risk of homelessness to request a "one-time, [$]5,000 grant to pay for a semester of housing.”

The 2.95% increase in meal plan rates is a universal increase to all student meal plan rates at EMU. According to the university, the increase is to due the ‘“expected [increase in the] inflation rate for [university] food services” as well as to maintain high standard of food offerings at EMU.

Dining services at Eastern Michigan University are operated by Compass Group North America - Chartwells Higher Education (Chartwells). The university signed a 10-year partnership with Chartwells in 2016 which partially privatizes campus dining operations. This partnership was the first of three major campus privatizations, which include the 35-year contract with LAZ Parking for on campus parking services as well as the University collaboration St. Joseph Mercy Health System and IHA in the recently opened IHA Health Center @ EMU.

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