Board of Regents approves 3% tuition increase, higher student fees at most schools

Board of Regents approves 3% tuition increase, higher student fees at most schools

(Jordan Allred/Deseret News)


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ST. GEORGE — The Utah Board of Regents approved a system-wide tuition increase of 3 percent for Utah's public colleges and universities during its meeting at Dixie State University on Friday.

A 3.5 percent increase was approved for University of Utah students.

On average, the increase will cost an extra $140 for resident undergraduates and $166 for resident graduate students. Nonresident tuition will increase by an average of $487 for undergraduates and $543 for graduate students.

But 3 percent is the lowest average tuition increase Utah has seen since 1999, keeping the state in its current rank of having the third-lowest tuition rates for four-year colleges in the nation, according to the Utah System of Higher Education.

"Our first concern is the students," said Dave Buhler, commissioner of higher education in Utah. "We want to keep tuition as low as possible, while ensuring that students receive a high-quality education. The Board of Regents and university and college presidents have worked hard to ensure that tuition remains affordable in Utah."

This year, the Utah Legislature provided $39.7 million in new one-time money for higher education, and $5.5 million in new ongoing funds. A large portion of the money will go toward a 2 percent salary raise for college instructors. State dollars will fund 75 percent of the boost in wages, and institutions will make up the other 25 percent through the tuition increase.

The board also approved a second-tier tuition increase of 0.5 percent for the University of Utah, bringing the total increase there to 3.5 percent. The supplemental increase will be used to hire more academic advisors, provide more flexibility for online students and more support for graduate students, according to Cathy Anderson, associate vice president of budget and planning at the U.


Tuition and fees are a balancing act. Our challenge each year is to strike that balance. We feel like this particular mix of (tuition increases) and student fees satisfies both priorities and strikes a good balance this year.

–UVU president Matthew Holland


Sen. Stephen Urquhart, R-St. George, said the new tuition rate is "very reasonable" considering the Legislature didn't fully fund the Board of Regents' funding priorities this year.

Had those priorities been fully funded, Utah would likely have seen a tuition increase closer to 2.5 percent instead of 3 percent, according to Buhler.

But overall, it was a "good funding year for higher education when you put it all into one pot," said Urquhart, who heads the Higher Education Appropriations Subcommittee.

"You are very judicious, you are very conscientious of your students," Urquhart told members of the Board of Regents.

The board also approved a new fee schedule, which, on average, is 3.3 percent higher than the current schedule. Utah State University has the highest fee increase at 12.5 percent, or about $116, mostly to fund its new Student Recreation and Wellness Center, which is scheduled to open in August.

Students at Dixie will see a 7.6 percent increase — about $50 — mostly to support athletics programs and the construction of a new Human Performance Center.

Utah Valley University and Southern Utah University will have small decreases in fees next year. UVU president Matthew Holland said next year will be the first time in the university's history that student fees have gone down.

"Tuition and fees are a balancing act. Our challenge each year is to strike that balance," Holland said. "We feel like this particular mix of (tuition increases) and student fees satisfies both priorities and strikes a good balance this year."

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