Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Tuition And Fees topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Board approves modest tuition, fee and housing increases for 2025—026; system emphasizes affordability guarantees
Summary
Trustees approved modest tuition increases for incoming students at UIUC, UIC and UIS and set student fees and housing rates for academic year 2025—026, while highlighting the system's financial-aid commitment and four-year tuition guarantee for entering students.
The University of Illinois Board of Trustees approved tuition, student-fee and housing-rate changes for the 2025—026 academic year on Jan. 23, 2025, voting the proposals forward as part of the board's regular voice-vote agenda.
Nicholas Jones, executive vice president and vice president for academic affairs, told trustees the recommended changes aim to balance affordability and academic quality amid recent inflation. He said the three universities proposed modest increases for incoming undergraduates: UIUC and UIC proposed 2.2% increases and UIS proposed a 2.0% increase. Jones presented system figures showing 97,772 enrolled students across the system and a systemwide institutional financial-aid commitment of $298,000,000 for the year.
Jones emphasized that the system guarantees the tuition rate for entering students for four years. He also noted the recent pattern of tuition-setting: no undergraduate resident tuition increases in seven of the last 10 years and several freezes, combined with growth in institutional aid over the past decade.
Key approved items included: - Undergraduate tuition: proposed increases for entering resident students of about 2.2% at UIUC and UIC and 2.0% at UIS (specific program differentials apply for certain majors such as engineering, business, nursing and specified science programs). - Graduate and professional rates: base graduate increases generally in the 2—3% range, with program-specific differentials for specialized programs. - Student fees: university committees with student representation reviewed proposed fee increases; U of I Urbana recommended a 2.1% fee increase ($70 per year), UIC recommended a 1.9% increase ($68 per year), and UIS recommended a 7.4% increase ($193 per year) that includes a $150 increase in a fee to address a student-funded portion of deferred maintenance. - Room and board: UIUC and UIC requested 5% increases to the basic double room and meal plan (UIUC $660/year; UIC $673/year); UIS requested a 4.4% increase ($500/year) reflecting a 5% room increase and 3% meal plan increase.
Jones told the board that the system's in-state undergraduates make up roughly 79% of undergraduate enrollment and that institutional aid combined with federal and state aid leaves a substantial share of resident students paying little or no tuition: the presentation said more than a third of system undergraduates pay no tuition or fees, and large shares pay less than $3,000 per semester.
Trustees approved the tuition, fee and housing proposals as presented; the approval was recorded as part of the group voice vote on the regular agenda.
