UCCS students will see the smallest year-to-year tuition and fee increase on campus in 12 years after the Board of Regents unanimously approved proposed rates during its regular business meeting April 6.
For resident undergraduate students, rates at UCCS will rise 2.6 percent, the lowest since 2006. Rates were kept below the caps in the Governor’s budget proposal, which is currently in conference committee at the General Assembly. The state budget will be finalized by the General Assembly later this year. The current inflation forecast is projected at 3.4 percent.
“Our campuses have done an excellent job keeping tuition as low as possible given the dynamics,” said Linda Shoemaker, D-Boulder and vice chair of the board. “It’s not to say that we shouldn’t be keeping a cap on it as much as we possibly can, and that we shouldn’t be trying to do what our President has done in the last 10 years to find efficiencies and find additional sources of revenue.”
The move comes a year after UCCS had the third-lowest tuition rate increase among state schools. UCCS will offer lowest cost four-year degree in the CU system by nearly $1,000 each year for a resident student enrolled in 15 hours in each semester.
“We’re grateful to the Governor and the State of Colorado for increasing funding for higher education this year, which allowed us to keep tuition rates lower for our students,” said Venkat Reddy, UCCS chancellor. “This is especially important given that many of our students are either low income or first generation students.”
The lowest “rate increase”? Are you serious? This is something to celebrate? How about an overall tuition decrease. I’m sorry this is NOT something that should be celibates.