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Missouri State Decreases Required Credit Hours to Cut Costs

 Missouri State University is decreasing the number of credit hours required to graduate as part of a plan to make the school more affordable.

The Columbia Missourian reports that Missouri State University President Clifton Smart announced a five-point plan last week. The new initiatives are part of a statewide trend to reduce higher education costs amid state budget cuts.

Decreasing the number of credit hours required to graduate from 125 to 120 is projected to save students an average of $1,100. Other cost-saving measures include broadening scholarship offerings, freezing some on-campus housing rates, renegotiating dining contracts and streamlining textbook costs.

Smart says affordability is the most frequently cited reason students give for their decision to attend.

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