University System of Georgia Board of Regents votes not to raise tuition fees

On Tuesday, April 12, the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia (USG) voted to remove the Special Institutional Fee and not raise tuition rates for the 2022-23 academic year.

This means that tuition for both undergraduates and graduates will remain the same for a third year in a row at 25 of 26 USG institutions.

The exception to the vote is Middle Georgia State University, which is beginning the first year of a three-year plan to align undergraduate tuition with other universities in the same academic sector.

Middle Georgia State will see increases ranging from $17 per credit hour for in-state undergraduates to $64 per credit hour for out-of-state undergraduate students.

The Board has also approved removing a mandatory Special Institutional Fee that has been charged to students systemwide since 2009.

According to the USG, this will save students from $170 up to $544 per semester depending on the institution they attend.

“The university system’s longstanding commitment to affordability helps empower students, keeping them on track to learn the skills they need to get good jobs in a highly skilled workforce,” USG Chancellor Sonny Perdue said. “That workforce is critical to the economic development that has allowed Georgia to thrive, and we are grateful to Governor Kemp and the General Assembly for passing a state budget this year that provides record support for public higher education and USG institutions statewide.”

The Special Institutional Fee was initially established to provide financial support for high-quality academic programs and operations during the reductions in state funding caused by the Great Recession.

The fee has continued since then but will be eliminated due to the state increasing the USG’s budget by almost $230 million beginning in Fiscal Year 2023.

According to the latest data available, among the 16 states that make up the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB), the USG has the third-lowest median in-state tuition and fees for undergraduates at four-year institutions.

The system also averages the 13th-lowest annual tuition and fees in the nation.

“We’re grateful to Governor Kemp and our state’s leaders for their support of our students, their families and the system,” Board Chairman Harold Reynolds said. “Affordability is one of the board’s highest priorities as our institutions work to increase degree attainment and maintain Georgia’s ranking as one of the best public university systems in the nation.”

Colleges and Universities in the USG are as follows:

• Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College
• Albany State University
• Atlanta Metropolitan State College
• Augusta University
• Clayton State University
• College of Coastal Georgia
• Columbus State University
• Dalton State College
• East Georgia State College
• Fort Valley State University
• Georgia College and State University
• Georgia Gwinnett College
• Georgia Highlands College
• Georgia Institute of Technology
• Georgia Southern University
• Georgia Southwestern State University
• Georgia State University
• Gordon State College
• Kennesaw State University
• Middle Georgia State University
• Savannah State University
• South Georgia State College
• University of Georgia
• University of North Georgia
• University of West Georgia
• Valdosta State University

To learn more about tuition rates for each institution click this link.