Tuition will remain flat for a second year for many University of Colorado students across the system’s four campuses.
CU regents voted 8-1 at a virtual meeting to approve the 0 percent tuition hike. The one exception will be a 3 percent tuition hike for non-resident undergraduate nursing students.
One regent even wanted to go a step forward: a tuition decrease.
“Although there were times where I would have applauded a 0 percent tuition increase, I think during this particular time we need to be taking a look at the difficult challenges our students are facing, and I would have liked to see a tuition decrease at this time,” CU Regent Sue Sharkey said.
While tuition remained flat, some fees did change. CU regents approved a $90 fee hike for the Denver campus and a $17 increase for the Colorado Springs campus. Boulder will see a $34 decrease next school year in student fees, and CU Anschutz student fees will remain unchanged.
CU regents also decided that faculty and classified staff will not see cost of living raises.
Uncertainty was a big theme that surrounded the CU regents' discussion. It’s unclear what fall enrollment numbers will look like. Some campuses like CU Boulder have released a draft plan that seeks to allow students to return to campus in the fall. It would allow a mix of in-person, virtual and hybrid classes.
It’s also unclear how much of a decrease in state funding higher education institutions like the University of Colorado will see. The Joint Budget Committee is meeting this week to discuss potential cuts to education. All four University of Colorado campuses have prepared budgets that allow for a 5, 10 or 20 percent reduction in funds.
CU regents are expected to finalize budgets across the four campuses on June 18.
