Increases
Tuition increases by varying amounts for the new academic year at these 10 University System of Georgia institutions:
*Georgia Tech, University of Georgia, Atlanta Metropolitan State College, Middle Georgia State University —- 9% increase
*Georgia Gwinnett College —- 8.3%
*Georgia Regents University, Georgia State University —- 5.5%
*University of North Georgia —- 5%
*Kennesaw State University —- 4.4%
*Georgia College & State University —- 3%
Tuition will increase by 2.5% at these institutions:
*Georgia Southern University
*Albany State University
*Valdosta State University
*Armstrong Atlantic State University
*Clayton State University
*Columbus State University
*Fort Valley State University
*Georgia Southwestern State University
*Savannah State University
*University of West Georgia
*Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College
*College of Coastal Georgia
*Dalton State College
*Gordon State College
*Bainbridge State College
*Darton State College
*East Georgia State College
*Georgia Highlands College
*Georgia Perimeter College
*South Georgia State College
Source: University System of Georgia
Students at all of Georgia's 30 public colleges and universities will pay more in tuition this fall.
Tuition was increased by 9 percent at two of the largest schools, Georgia Tech and the University of Georgia, and 2.5 percent at 20 other schools in the University System. Rates at the remaining eight institutions are up between 3 percent and 9 percent.
This is the fourth year tuition has risen by 2.5 percent at most schools, and the majority of students will see increases of at least 3 percent, according to enrollment figures. System officials said campus presidents requested the increases to reduce class sizes, retain and recruit high-quality faculty, fund higher-level degrees, improve technology and cover ongoing operating expenses. The state’s board of regents approved the increases earlier this year.
But students worry the hike will lead to more post-college bills.
“These increases will just make more students go into debt, ” Dianne Coffie, a Georgia Gwinnett sophomore, said. Georgia Gwinnett’s tuition increased 8.3 percent. “Students come here for the low-cost tuition. If you take that away, it could hurt enrollment.”
Students at the four research institutions will see semester increases: $221 at Georgia Regents University, $223 at Georgia State, $387 at UGA and $405 at Georgia Tech.
The 2.5 percent rate hike at 20 schools means an increase of $33 to $64 per semester, depending on the institution, for undergraduate, in-state students. Out-of-state students at the schools will see semester increases from $126 to $225.
The regents also approved 22 mandatory fee increases at various institutions, including commuter dining fees at Kennesaw State, Georgia Gwinnett and the College of Coastal Georgia.
The increases are needed at the research institutions to keep them competitive with similar schools across the country, and because the demand is high for those institutions, officials said.
“This is not about chasing rankings, or chasing other states, ” said John Brown, the system’s finance director. “We’re doing it because there has been demonstrated need from institutions.” Brown also noted that Georgia’s tuition rates and faculty salaries were below average for schools in 16 Southeastern states.
The state budget for the fiscal year includes a 3 percent increase for Georgia’s HOPE scholarships, but those lottery-funded dollars are awarded based on academic achievement.
“I understand how hard it is to pay your tuition every semester. When I went to school, I paid my way through and I remember those tough days, ” University System Chancellor Hank Huckaby said. “We hope to be able to level off (tuition costs) very significantly over the next few years. At the same time, we’re working hard to bring attention and resources to needs-based financial aid because those students are really stressed.”
Mari Brown pays for his education at Georgia Gwinnett through a mix of the federal Pell Grant and loans. Any extra costs he pays out of pocket. The tuition is likely to lead him to re-evaluate his housing situation at Georgia Gwinnett. “I could be forced to move off campus,” Brown, 20, said.
Georgia's rate hike follows a national trend highlighted in the latest higher education finance report, released by the State Higher Education Executive Officers Association, which found that more student tuition dollars are being used to fund college costs. State funding and tuition each cover about half of college expenses. Years ago, state funding paid about 75 percent of the costs.
The funding trends have created what some call the “new normal” in higher education, according to the report.
“The new normal expects students and their families to continue to make increasingly greater financial sacrifices in order to complete a post-secondary education, ” the report says.
And while state funding is seeing a slight increase, it is still not back to pre-recession levels, the report found. State lawmakers included about $81 million in extra funding in next year’s budget for the university system, officials said, but much of that money will go toward personnel costs, including health care and retirement expenses, and $10 million for employee merit raises.
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