Regents raise tuition for all public Georgia colleges

COLUMBUS – Georgia’s public college students will see a higher bill next year after the university system elected to increase tuition at all 25 of its schools.

In-state tuition will increase by 1% while out-of-state and international students will pay a 3% increase. The vote was taken by the Board of Regents Tuesday during its meeting at Columbus State University.

Most Georgia Tech students will pay $53 more for tuition this fall. Full-time, in-state University of Georgia students will pay an additional $50. Students at many other state universities will pay between $30-$35 more for the fall semester.

In addition to tuition raises, the board voted to raise fees at some schools while decreasing them at others. Eight schools, including the University of Georgia and Georgia Tech, will see higher fees next year. Students at Georgia Southern and Kennesaw State universities, however, will have smaller fees.

Housing prices will increase by $100 to $200 per semester at most dorms.

The tuition change is notable for a system that prides itself on affordability. Before the vote, the board’s chief fiscal officer, Tracey Cook, presented data showing that this academic year, Georgia had the fifth lowest undergraduate tuition and fees of any public system in the nation. It also had the third lowest among all Southern states, trailing only North Carolina and Florida, according to University System of Georgia officials.

This marked the fourth time in 10 years the USG has approved a tuition increase. Despite the raise, the USG says that when adjusting for inflation, students on average pay less in tuition today than they did in 2017.

Although the system did not provide a direct explanation for the hike, a media release said while the system has seen record enrollment, it’s also seen rising operational costs. The release pointed out that USG funding is based on a formula created more than four decades ago, and it noted that the Georgia Legislature recently amended the state budget, resulting in a $34.2 million USG funding decrease.

As originally designed, the formula intended for the state to cover 75% of instructional costs, with tuition making up the remaining 25%. But following the Great Recession, Georgia, along with many other states, began allocating less money to their universities. State funds now only cover 57% of costs, according to the USG, leaving more of a burden on students.

The decrease in the percentage of state funding, according to the Georgia Budget and Policy Institute, “results in more out-of-pocket costs for students and ultimately increases student loan debt amounts for students attending USG colleges and universities.” Georgia has one of the highest rates of student loan debt per borrower in the country.

The USG added a Senate study committee will review the formula, and that the USG looks forward to “working with state leaders on solutions that align access, affordability and sustainability for students across the state.”