HUNTINGTON, W.Va. –The Marshall University Board of Governors approved several items during its meeting Wednesday, including the purchase of property for a new School of Medicine building and an expansion of its Metro Tuition rates.
Toney Stroud, the university’s chief legal officer, made the pitch for the acquisition of 3.894 acres of property located on Northcott Court and Hal Greer Boulevard in Huntington to construct the new Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine and Community Health Institute.
The board unanimously approved the purchase.
Stroud said the university has entered into an agreement to purchase the property.
“We have to entered into an agreement to acquire this property, it was currently an option Fairmont Properties, who was going to purchase the property, they have sold their option to us at a cost of $350 thousand dollars, and we’re paying $3.3 million for the property itself,” he said.
Stroud said the purchase will be funded by $30 million from the state, $31.8 million secured by U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito for the project, and additional funds raised through fundraising efforts. He said that, with state and federal support, the university is now two-thirds of the way toward owning the property.
Stroud pointed out that this will allow the university to have a stand-alone building for its School of Medicine.
“We are the only accredited school of medicine without its own stand-along facility, this will give the ability to build a school of medicine and a Community Health Institute which will house our pillars within our medical district,” he said.
Metro Tuition
The board members also approved a two-phase process to expand the Metro Tuition Rate to additional surrounding states and counties.
Chief Financial Officer Matt Tidd explained the two phases during the meeting. He said the expansion allows the university to continue to maintain its affordability mission and expand its brand in the region.
He said the first phase, which would take effect in fall 2027, would allow the university to reach a true 150-mile radius.
“We’re currently in a 150-mile radius but only in Ohio and Kentucky, so now that’s going to take us into Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, North Carolina, Virginia, Indiana, and Pennsylvania, so yes there are counties in all those states that are within 150 miles of Huntington, West Virginia,” Tidd said.
He said that currently there are 28 students from Ohio and Kentucky enrolled under the Metro Tuition Rate.
The second phase, which would take effect in fall 2028, is known as the Border State Benefit.
“The name says it all that we would be offering a metro rate to any student that resides in a state that borders the state of West Virginia, so that would be Ohio, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Virginia,” Tidd said.
He said that currently there are 173 undergraduate students and 109 graduate students from those states.