AUSTIN, Texas — A meeting memo shows that the University of Texas System's Board of Regents is looking into increasing tuition fees and non-academic mandatory fees for non-resident and graduate students.
Both the chancellor and executive vice chancellors for academic affairs and business affairs have recommended that the UT System should approve increases to non-resident undergraduate and graduate tuitions, in addition to non-academic mandatory fees.
The recommendation is slated to be discussed at the board's meeting on Wednesday, May 3. If approved, the fees would be enacted for the 2023-24 school year and would not affect in-state students.
"Even in the current inflationary environment, U. T. System understands the importance of offering world-class, affordable higher education opportunities within the state and remains fully committed to controlling costs for students wherever possible," the memo states.
However, the memo also states that the increase should not exceed the 2022 Higher Education Price Index (HEPI), which is 5.2%. The index found that this is the second highest increase it has been, with the highest increase being in 2001 at 6%.
HEPI is used by universities to shape budgets moving into the next fiscal year, which is slated to begin at the end of June for higher education.
This proposal comes five months after UT System Chancellor Milliken, alongside five other system chancellors, wrote a letter to the State asking for a hold for two years on any increase to resident undergraduate academic costs. Those costs include tuition, mandatory academic fees, all general fees related to academics and college course fees.
In exchange for the cost hold, the systems would receive a large grant for additional funding – including state investment, employee health funding and more. This proposal is still pending, as the Texas Legislature has not approved the budget for the 2024-25 biennium.
With or without the approval of the funding to the systems, the tuition increases would not affect in-state residents included in the proposal.
There will be a public hearing for changes to the designed tuition increase, pursuant to the Texas Education Code Section 54.0513. It has not been listed when that public hearing would take place.