Dan Nadler, the vice president for Student Affairs, announced during the April 20 Student Senate meeting that Eastern would not be raising the amount of additional student fees for the 2011-2012 school year.

There are currently 11 fees Eastern students pay totaling $843.95 in fees.

Last January, Nadler presented the room and board a 3.5 percent increase to the Board of Trustees.

This is the lowest increase that has been requested in 18 years, Nadler said.

Nadler is in charge of reviewing fee requests, but this year Nadler said he decided that a fee increase was not justifiable with the current financial crisis.

Nadler said fee approval was a reconfirmation of already approved fees.

“In keeping with our focus on affordability and also being sensitive to the economic climate, I just didn’t allow any addition fees to come forward this year,” Nadler said.

He said he is not sure how the decision to not raise fees could impact the current enrollment numbers.

“Eastern is already a very affordable institution-I believe we offer incredible value for the price that we charge,” Nadler said. “But certainly we don’t want money to be a significant factor in why students choose not to come to Eastern.”

The cost of tuition is an increasingly sensitive issue not only for the student body and parents, but the administration, Nadler said.

Nadler said he believes the university’s ability to support its faculty and students is one of the reasons it is the second highest graduation rate of Illinois universities and the highest retention rate of freshmen and sophomores in the state.

“Students that come to Eastern get a different type of experience that you would more typically find at a private university,” he said. “This is the kind of institution that provides opportunities for all students.”

Nike Ogunbodede can be reached at 581-2812 or [email protected].