Tuition hikes coming for Georgia’s public colleges, universities

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

Ft. 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 next fall under a plan approved Tuesday by the state’s board of regents.

Tuition will increase by 9 percent at two of the state's 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 8 intuitions will rise 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.

But students worry it will lead to more post-college bills.

“These increases will just make more students go into debt,” Dianne Coffie, a Georgia Gwinnett sophomore, said after hearing about the tuition hikes. Georgia Gwinnett’s tuition will increase 8.3 percent in the fall. “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 of $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 will mean 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 ranging from $126 to $225.

The tuition increase was approved unanimously and with no public discussion by the board during its monthly meeting, held this month at Georgia Gwinnett College. The board 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 upcoming 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,” said University System Chancellor Hank Huckaby. “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 this week, 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.