AZ public universities’ tuition, fee hikes OK’d

The Arizona Board of Regents on Thursday approved tuition and fee increases across the three state universities for the next school year, marking the first time many students will see increases since the start of the pandemic.

Arizona State University, the University of Arizona and Northern Arizona University are raising tuition for instate undergraduate students between 2% and 3.5%, plus increases for graduate, international and online students. Many fees also will rise next school year.

Most in-state undergraduate students at UA and NAU are part of pledge programs that hold tuition rates the same for four years, so those current students won’t see increases. And ASU has committed to keeping in-state tuition growth under 3% each year.

The across the board increases satisfy recommendations proposed by the university presidents last month. These are the first tuition increases after two years without changes for in-state undergraduates and many other students, as the three state universities largely held tuition rates steady in 2020 and 2021.

Tuition and fee revenue is a primary funder of the universities’ operations and academics, especially when state funding is low.

State support amounted to about $11,800 per resident student in 2008, and now it’s down to about $6,600, Board of Regents Executive Director John Arnold told the board Thursday.

State revenues make up about 14% of the university budgets, but much of that funding is tied to specific projects rather than general operations, he said.

“State support for our universities is an important component as we con

sider all of our revenue streams, tuition being another important component,” Arnold said. “There’s certainly a relationship between what the state is able to provide and what we need to charge in tuition and fees.”

Near-unanimous votes to raise tuition

Regents voted unanimously in favor of all the tuition and fee increases, with the exception of votes on tuition increases for in-state students. Regent Fred DuVal voted against tuition hikes for Arizona resident students at all three universities.

DuVal said he supported a third year without tuition increases given the ongoing economic impacts of the pandemic on Arizonans.

“Both the universities and the students have been badly hit by the lingering COVID economy,” DuVal wrote in a text message. “The universities are recovering faster than Arizona families and students.”

Several student government representatives and faculty speakers stated their support and opposition to the tuition and fees increases during the public speaking portion at the start of Thursday’s meeting.

A few student government representatives from NAU said they were in favor of the increases and hoped they would improve campus life. They said they appreciated transparent discussions with the administration.

But Some UA instructors and graduate students expressed concern about burdening students with even higher tuition and fees.

“A raise in tuition is a direct threat to the livelihoods of students. We’re struggling,” UA doctoral student Samuel David Jesse told the board. “In light of the drastic increases in the cost of living in Arizona in the last years, it will make it even more difficult for poor and marginalized communities to afford the hefty price of education, an education that we collectively need to advance Arizona into the future.”

Regent Larry Penley said given the level of state support, the university presidents have to be entrepreneurial and innovative in developing revenue however they can. They are doing that, he said, and that determines the tuition levels needed, adding that the university presidents are committed to financial aid for low-income students.

Here are the basic changes for tuition and fees across the three universities for next school year:

ASU raising tuition for all students

● 2.5% tuition increase for in-state undergraduate and graduate students. For undergraduates, tuition and mandatory fees will increase from $11,348 to $11,618.

● 4% tuition increase for out-of-state undergraduate and graduate students. For undergraduates, tuition and mandatory fees will increase from $29,438 to $30,592.

● 5% tuition increase for international undergraduate and graduate students.

● Undergraduate college fees will increase up to $30 a year for in-state students and up to $50 a year for out-of-state students.

● Certain graduate programs will see new program fees or fee increases.

● 3% increase (about $222 per year) in student housing rates.

● 4.1% increase (about $196 per year) in meal plans.

● ASU is projecting an enrollment increase of 3.8% for next school year, with about half of that from online enrollment.

UA hiking tuition and fees for some

● 2% tuition increase for new and non-pledge instate undergraduate and graduate students. For undergraduates tuition plus mandatory fees would go from $12,726 to $13,265.

● 5.6% tuition increase for out-of-state undergraduate students and no increase for out-of-state graduate students. For undergraduates, tuition plus mandatory fees would go from $37,248 to $39,567.

● 4.3% tuition increase for in-state College of Medicine students and 1% for out-of-state students.

● 3% tuition increase for College of Veterinary Medicine students.

● $175 per year increase for the Health and Recreation Fee (from $425 to $600) and $135 per year increase for the Student Services Fee (from $150 to $285) for entering undergraduate students.

● 3.5% increase ($130-$340 per year) for undergraduate housing and 2% increase for graduate apartments. No increase in current meal plan costs.

● UA is projecting an enrollment increase of 3.2% for next school year, with nearly half of that from online enrollment.

NAU will have biggest increase

● 3.5% tuition increase for Flagstaff and statewide incoming undergraduate and graduate students.

● 7.2%-7.9% tuition increase for new international students and those not on the pledge program.

● Tuition and fees for new in-state undergraduate students in Flagstaff: $12,273, up from $11,896.

● Tuition and fees for new out-of-state undergraduate students in Flagstaff: $27,535, up from $26,642.

● Tuition and fees for in-state graduate students in Flagstaff: $12,639, up from $12,250.

● Tuition and fees for out-of-state graduate students in Flagstaff: $29,189, up from $28,240.

● Tuition and fees for new international undergraduate students in Flagstaff: $28,535, up from $26,642.

● Tuition and fees for international graduate students in Flagstaff: $30,189, up from $28,240.

● 3% increase (about $193 per year) in student housing rates.

● 3.9% increase (about $103 per year) in meal plans. NAU’s pledge program was a point of concern for at least one regent during a previous meeting, and President José Luis Cruz Rivera has said the university plans to make changes to the program as it restructures university finances in the months ahead.

NAU has seen an 11% decline in undergraduates from fall 2017 to fall 2021 and is projecting a continued enrollment decrease of 3.2%, or 858 students, for next fall.