DELHI TOWNSHIP — The College of Mount St. Joseph announced Friday it will increase tuition 5.3 percent for the 2002-2003 academic year.

        Per semester, full-time students at the co-ed Catholic liberal arts college in Delhi Township will now pay $7,475.

        The school's board of trustees voted on the increase at a time when other colleges and universities in Kentucky and Ohio have raised their rates, too.

        The Mount's increase still leaves tuition costs there in the bottom third of private college tuition in Ohio, school officials said.

        The University of Cincinnati increased full-time tuition in June by 8 percent before adding a mid-year increase of 6 percent. Xavier raised tuition 7.5 percent.

        “This is not the year for large tuition increases as families are already facing economic challenges,” said Michael S. McGraw, president of R.G. McGraw Insurance Agency and chairman of the school's board of trustees.

        “The Mount's administration is adept at working smarter and has been successful in keeping costs down while major improvements to the academic programs and technology initiatives have taken place.”

        College officials say the increase will help the Mount continue its technology initiatives by adding more electronic classrooms next year and enable the institution to hire more faculty to keep class sizes small.

        The school also plans to continue expanding student housing in the Seton Center East building, a wing of the Residence Hall that provides spacious rooms and study lounges among other things.

        “The board spent a long time discussing recession and how to best serve the students,” said Sister Francis Marie Thrailkill, the college's president.

        Instead of making huge budget cuts, the school will be looking for more outside money to pay for capital projects.

        “We're very conscious about how tight money is,” she said.

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