The Tennessee Board of Regents – which governs six universities and 13 community colleges – approved an expected across-the-board 6-percent tuition hike today. The UT system approved the same increase earlier this month.
Tuition has nearly doubled at board of regent schools since 2000. Despite increased funding from the state and a growing number of students, board members say the increase was necessary to maintain current operations.
Enrollment at MTSU and Austin Peay is at record levels. Middle Tennessee board member Agenia Clark says the tuition hike shouldn’t have a chilling effect.
“I think that the demand our schools are experiencing right now, with the numbers of students who are interested in pursing higher education at community colleges, 2 year or 4 year institutions, I do not that that desire will be impeded by the 6-percent.”
Cost to attend board of regents universities will move to $4,058 per year plus mandatory fees which also increased. Community colleges will now charge $2,364 dollars for a full-time student.
Students who receive lottery-funded scholarships won’t feel much of the blow. The state legislature bumped the awards from 38-hundred to 4-thousand dollars this year.
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