NOC Approves FY 2025 Budget, Freezing Tuition and Mandatory Fees and Expanding Scholarships for Adult Learners

The Northern Oklahoma College Board of Regents approved the Fiscal Year 2025 Budget at the June 19^th meeting in Tonkawa.  The approved Educational and General Operating Budget of $24,884,666 represents an increase of 2.2% ( The NOC/OSU Gateway cost will remain flat for the third year in a row. The NOC Board of Regents unanimously approved this freeze in tuition and mandatory fees during their meeting and it will be presented to the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education for approval on June 27.

“The Regents are very pleased we are able to continue to provide high quality educational opportunities and services to NOC students without increasing the financial burden on them or their families,” said regent chair Brad Fox.

NOC will provide over $3 million in waivers and scholarships to our students. The institution also received state and federal funds which will allow us to increase the scholarship assistance we provide to our adult learners. Special funding is available to eligible students for the Reach Higher Scholarship and/or the GEER (Governor’s Emergency Education Relief) Scholarship, helping adult students complete their degree, thus meeting some of the demands of Oklahoma’s critical workforce needs. For more information, contact Kathleen Swain at 580-628-6258 or [email protected].

Again this year, institutions will be reimbursed for 100% of the total eligible waivers for high school juniors and seniors that our institutions provided in FY24. This $642,087 reimbursement represents an increase of $97,159 from the previous year.

In other positive news, The Oklahoma Legislature passed key policies for Higher Education which addressed deferred maintenance and some prior escalation in property insurance premiums. NOC will receive a total of $10,376,633 for FY 25, representing an overall increase in allocations of 1.57% ($156,167) from FY24.

For the third and final year, $262,645 in state appropriations will be received to be utilized for STEM-related degree programs that lead to occupations listed as requiring a degree on Oklahoma’s Top 100 Critical Occupations (2018-2028). This “at-risk” funding will be re-evaluated at the end of the 2024-2025 academic year for possible reallocation.

“I am extremely pleased we were able to share some positive news with the budget this year,” stated Diana Watkins, NOC President. “We are grateful to the Oklahoma Legislature for the increase in appropriations and the deferred maintenance funds that will allow us to make some much needed improvements on our campuses.”

Also at the meeting, Jason Turnbow was elected the Regents Chair and Mike Loftis as Vice Chair for 2024-2025.

In other business, the regents approved the following items:

• Appointed regents Turnbow and Loftis as Group One Trustees for the Northern Oklahoma College Foundation.
• Approved the NOC Campus Master Plan for FY2026-2033.
• Approved the Financial Report, Monthly Purchases, and Monthly Allocations.

June’s meeting was the final for retiring regent Michael Martin who served five years on the Board of Regents.

The next meeting is Wednesday, July 17, at NOC Tonkawa at 2 p.m.

Oklahoma College, the state’s first public two-year community college, is a multi-campus, land-grant institution that provides high quality, accessible, and affordable educational opportunities and services.

NOC serves nearly 4,000 students through the home campus in Tonkawa, branch in Enid, and NOC/OSU Gateway Program in Stillwater.  Of these students about 80% receive financial aid and/or scholarships. 75% of NOC students complete their degree with zero debt.

The college is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and offers associate degrees in three general areas: Arts, Science and Applied Science; the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs; and the Accreditation Commission for Education and Nursing.

For more information about Northern Oklahoma College please call (580) 628-6208 or visit the NOC website at www.noc.edu.