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Northwest College is bumping up its housing and meal plan rates for the next school year to cover rising costs, while still maintaining its position as one of the most affordable colleges in the …
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Northwest College is bumping up its housing and meal plan rates for the next school year to cover rising costs, while still maintaining its position as one of the most affordable colleges in the state.
At the Feb. 9 board meeting held at Meeteetse Schools (Each year one meeting is held in Meeteetse and another in Cody) trustees approved the price increases.
The housing cost increases are all between 2.44% and 3.01%, depending on the room and the residence hall or complex.
“Even our proposed increases will still be below the average for double room and single room,” said Tom Havron, vice president of student services.
President Lisa Watson said with inflation having stabilized at roughly 2.5% to 3%, they wanted to find the “sweet spot” for the housing cost increase.
Sheridan College, which offers a scholarship incentive to cover housing costs, is the only state community college with lower rates than what the board approved.
At Trapper Village West, the college works to align rates with the area housing market, with a one room studio rising from $520-$535 per month, all the way to a four bedroom house rising from $1,550-$1,595 per month.
Trapper West housing has maintained its popularity. In fiscal year 2025 the occupancy was 75% due to units unavailable for repairs, while for FY26 occupancy has increased to 90% of all rentable units.
Northwest College saw a decrease in occupancy of residence halls last fall, with approximately 292 residents. This 10% decline (roughly 35 students) compared to prior years was consistent with the enrollment decline that Northwest College experienced last fall. Based on current enrollment numbers, the college is conservatively projecting next fall’s occupancy at approximately 310 students, consistent with fall 2023 and 2024 occupancy.
Meal plan
The board also approved the recommended raise to the Meal Plan rates for the next fiscal year, increasing each existing meal plan by 2.7%, which accounts to $55 for the large, medium, and small plans (all $2,080 per semester) and $59 for the premium plan. The smaller plans come with more “flex bucks” for students to spend outside of the standard meals.
