University of Georgia's Board of Regents approves tuition increase due to rising costs

ATLANTA (WGXA)- The University of Georgia's Board of Regents today voted to approve tuition increases for the 2024-25 academic year at the state's 26 higher education institutions.

According to a release from the Board, the increases come after "the Board kept tuition flat at all but one USG institution for six of the past eight years. Escalating costs for people, goods and services, increased competition from the private sector for talent and overall inflation have all contributed to growing pressure on institutional budgets, resulting in today’s decision."

Middle Georgia State University is the only institution to increase tuition over the past academic year. But the Board says it was part of "finishing the last of a three-year plan to align its undergraduate tuition with other universities in the same academic sector."

Tuition rates for in-state undergraduate students will rise 2.5%, while out-of-state tuition will spike by 5%. Tuition for international students will increase by 7%.

The Board of Regents release adds, "USG’s strong commitment to keeping college affordable for students in Georgia has meant average tuition increases for an undergraduate, in-state Georgia student over the past eight years have been less than 1%, well below the rate of inflation."

The Board also says while tuition remained flat over the eight years, colleges were able to eliminate a mandatory Special Institutional Fee that had been in place systemwide since 2009. The elimination of the fee came with the support of Governor Brian Kemp and the Georgia General Assembly. According to the Board, waiving that fee saved college students anywhere between $340 to $1,088, depending on the institution they attended.

You can see tuition rates for each Georgia institution here.