Radford students, open your wallets and get ready to dish out a bit more for your time at the university in the future than you have in the past. According to a report that came out in the Roanoke Times today and a larger article that came out later, the Radford University Board of Vistors voted earlier today to make some changes in tuition fees as well as in other areas.

The decision, which came during the afternoon, will bump up tuition and fees for undergraduates both in and out-of-state. In-state students will see a tuition raise of 7.1 percent while those out-of-state will be dishing out 9.1 percent more than they did this past semester.

Also, those who stay on campus will see more of their cash go into the hands of the university as room and board costs will go up by 3 percent. If you factor in the tuition raise for in-state students with this 3 percent room and board increase, there will be a sum increase for on-campus students of 12.1 percent.

The Roanoke Times posted a few figures in the report. It said, "that means an in-state student will pay $5,746 in tuition and fees and $6,304 for room and board, for a total of $12,050." For those not familar with the previous figures, that is a 7.1 percent increase from this past year. In short, the university will be receiving an extra $148 for every in-state undergrad student.

The percentage remains the same for out-of-state students, though. Again, the Roanoke Times stated that those students "will pay $13,494 for tuition and fees and $6,304 for room and board for a total of $19,798."

Another interesting bit of news that came out of the Board of Visitors meeting was a measure suggested by Randal Kirk, a member of the university's business affairs committee, that would require the university to consider charging different tuition rates depending on a student's major. The measure was approved by the Board of Visitors.

Personally, I do not know much about the prices beyond what the figures say so I cannot tell whether this price hike is necessary or just an easy way for the university to fill their pockets. After all, Radford is still below the average for Virginia public colleges in tuition for four-year in-state students.

The change did not go without dissent. One of the members of the academic affairs commitee, a fellow by the name of Robert Blake, charged that a tuition increase would be an unfair burden to Radford students. Blake backed the recommendation despite the concern for students because he said that there was an economic need for the university.

Radford University President Penelope Kyle went on to tell the Roanoke Times, "Next week, we'll have to sit down and prioritize what we can do with the extra money."

The next step, logically, is Radford getting a football team... well, not really. But hey, we can dream, can't we?