Georgia's public university students are set to shell out more cash come fall 2024. The Board of Regents has voted to hike tuition and fees for the next academic year, citing inflation in costs and the necessity to provide quality education. As reported by WABE, the typical in-state undergrad at a Georgia public university will now cough up $6,466, which is a 2.4% increase from the current $6,317.
The increases will be felt across the board, with students at East Georgia State College in Swainsboro paying $3,506 and those attending the prestigious Georgia Tech being set to buckle under a load of $12,058. This decision snaps a period of relative respite where the Regents had chosen to keep tuition mostly steady for the better part of the last eight years. The only silver lining is that, despite the uptick, tuition fees are still relatively lower than they were back in 2022, post the elimination of a specific fee that drove costs up the wall at most institutions.
Tracey Cook, the University System Chief Fiscal Officer, explained the rough corner the schools are turning. "We must at times increase tuition to maintain a consistent standard of quality, to improving how we graduate and retain our students, and as discussed, keep pace with rising costs, while we look for ways to be more efficient," Cook told regents during a Tuesday meeting at Gordon State College in Barnesville, as detailed in the statement obtained by WABE. From technology updates to the utility bills and the ever-climbing employee wages, the pressure to fulfill these cost increases without state aid leaves little room for maneuver.
The escalating expenses don't end at tuition. Dormitory and meal plan rates will also climb, carving a deeper hole in students' pockets. And it's not just Georgia natives feeling the pinch; international students will see a 2% hike over the already tripled out-of-state tuition rates. Fees for online students are subject to surge as well, even though they will continue to dodge the full brunt of costs associated with campus facilities and student activities.
Supporting some of the financial weight, the state will cover nearly $3.4 billion of the University System's looming $9 billion budget. Thanks to a generous budget increase of $200 million, or 6.4%, approved by lawmakers and awaiting the nod from Gov. Brian Kemp, Georgia's universities can breathe a sigh of relief on the salary front, with $97 million dedicated to a 4% salary boost for academic employees. As Regent Douglas Aldridge of Chattahoochee Hills pointed out, this budget boost is set to "go a long way in providing a quality education experience for our students," emphasizing the balance sought between affordability and maintaining a high standard of academic offering.
