TUITION FEES TO INCREASE 10 PERCENT

Change begins Term 2104

After holding steady since 2012, tuition fees for all OUM students will see a ten percent increase over current levels, beginning in Term 2104.

CNBC reported in late 2019 that US college tuitions had increased 25 percent in the previous ten years, and the Finaid website (https://finaid.org) added that tuition rates tend to increase about eight percent per year, but OUM has not followed this trend.

It has been more than eight years since OUM raised its tuition, and during that time OUM’s operating costs have grown considerably. The University has greatly expanded its curriculum, added faculty and increased the number of hours they teach, expanded student advising programs to include Research and Clinical Advisors, added library resources, and introduced technology to make course content more accessible and user friendly. We are delighted that OUM has been able to make so many advances without raising rates for such an extended period, but in order to continue building we need to keep pace with the increased costs of doing business.

“Per the OUM catalog,” says OUM Council Chairman Taffy Gould, “full-time students – students who have not taken any time off since matriculating at OUM – will not see an increase as long as they remain full time. In addition, we are offering a prepayment discount to all students who pay before Term 2104.” Normally students must prepay a year in advance to get a five percent discount, or two years in advance to get a 10% discount. But all students may prepay prior to 2104 – with no minimum requirement – and take advantage of the pre-increase rates.

Ms. Gould also reminds students that they can receive additional tuition credits for the referral of new students to OUM, and to be sure to ask the Bursar for more information.

“We realize that no increase in cost is ever met with great enthusiasm,” continues Gould, “but we hope students see that OUM’s tuition is still well below average for a comparable education elsewhere, and in fact represents a great value proposition, even with the upcoming increase. By giving seven months’ notice before the increase goes into effect, we hope to provide everyone an opportunity to plan for the change. Of course, OUM will continue accepting tuition payments in AUD, CAD, NZD, and USD for residents of those countries, and payment plans will remain available.”

(December 2020)