JLBC reviews Arizona Board of Regents FY2026 tuition and fee plan; committee approves item 6

JLBC staff presented the Arizona Board of Regents' FY2026 expenditure plan on Nov. 10, reporting a projected $5,000,000,000 in gross tuition and fee revenue for 2026 (a 13.2% increase over FY2025) and $3,700,000,000 in net tuition revenue after financial aid.

Grace (JLBC staff) told the committee most net tuition revenue would fund operating needs, with remainder going to debt service and plant funds. Committee members pressed for context on an $11.1 million reduction in general fund appropriations for universities relative to FY2025; Grace said the reduction primarily reflected the elimination of one-time funding lines, such as the Promise program, and other one-time items.

Members questioned wide year-over-year net tuition changes reported in the JLBC memo: ASU's net collections were listed as increasing by $143.3 million (6.7%), NAU's net tuition collections were reported to decrease by $6.3 million, and the University of Arizona's net tuition collections were shown as increasing by $366.6 million (43.8%). Grace attributed U of A's increase largely to changes in its financial aid structure rather than a tuition increase and said inquiries about NAU's decline could be followed up with the universities for more detail. Another committee member noted NAU's enrollment had declined by 3% and suggested recent international-student declines may also be a factor.

The committee moved to give a favorable review to item 6 and approved the Arizona Board of Regents FY2026 expenditure plan by voice vote. The transcript records discussion and committee approval but does not include a roll-call tally for the vote.