Missouri governor to end limits on college tuition increases

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Missouri college and university officials will be able to raise tuition as much as they want under legislation Gov. Mike Parson is signing.

Spokeswoman Kelli Jones said the Republican governor was signing the bill Tuesday.

Currently, public colleges and universities can only raise tuition a limited amount to keep up with inflation, compensate for cuts in state aid or keep up with the average tuition rates across the state.

The new law will allow college officials to raise tuition as much as they want beginning in July 2022.

Schools also will be allowed to charge different tuition rates for different degrees, a change aimed at letting colleges set higher tuition in fields with higher education costs.

The wide-ranging legislation also will let college athletes profit off their fame and celebrity, although the NCAA preemptively scrapped its rules against that earlier this month.

Missouri joins a growing list of states that have enacted laws allowing student athletes to earn money for autographs, sponsorships or other uses of their names, images, likenesses or athletic reputations.