Stories @ TCAT

The Tennessee Board of Regents today approved increases in tuition and fees that are among the lowest on average since 1996.

The action, taken during the TBR quarterly meeting at Columbia State Community College, raises hourly maintenance fees/tuition an average of 3.3 percent across the six TBR universities, 13 community colleges and 27 Tennessee Colleges of Applied Technology.

Last fall the Tennessee Higher Education Commission recommended tuition increases between 0 and 4 percent if dollars were provided in the state budget this year for the higher education funding formula that allocates funds based on a variety of metrics to encourage student success through outcomes, like graduation and retention. The outcomes in the formula were funded.

As a result, students at Austin Peay State University will see a 2.4 percent maintenance fee/tuition increase, East Tennessee State University – 3 percent, Middle Tennessee State University – 3.1 percent, Tennessee State University – 2.8 percent, Tennessee Tech University – 10.9 percent (TTU is also reducing its mandatory fees this year, so the result is actually a 3.9 percent total revenue increase), and University of Memphis – 3.7 percent.

Students at community colleges will pay 3.4 percent more for maintenance fees, and TCAT students will see a 4 percent increase.