Trustees Approve Tuition and Fee Increases at University of Arkansas

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The University of Arkansas System Board of Trustees approved on Friday, March 28, a request for an increase of tuition and fees for the University of Arkansas campus.

Chancellor John A. White presented the request for a 5 percent increase in tuition and fees; an additional facilities fee of $2 per semester credit hour for all students; a 1 percent increase in the differential tuition per credit hour for students in the Sam M. Walton College of Business; and an 11.95 percent increase per credit hour in the teaching equipment and laboratory enhancement fee for students in the School of Architecture.

White told board members that the increases are intended to meet rising costs and continuing to improve academic quality while balancing those goals with the need to keep a University of Arkansas education affordable for the state’s students.

“We must always be cognizant of our students and the burden we place on them when considering future tuition increases, and certainly we are keeping the students in mind when balancing our need for resources and future development,” he told the trustees.

White said that despite the increases, when compared with other public four-year institutions nationally and in the state, the university remains an educational bargain.

“The cost of a University of Arkansas education is well-below average and among the lower half of flagship schools nationally,” he said. “This is a testament to our ongoing efforts to run a lean, efficient university. Even with tuition and fees of $6,400 annually, the University of Arkansas will not be the most expensive public institution in the state, and the cost for students is expected to be at a reasonable level compared with other institutions around the state.”

White said the tuition and fee increases are primarily needed to pay for higher operating expenses and to provide competitive faculty salaries. He pointed out that the university’s faculty salaries are among the lowest of the more than 16 public institutions in the Southern Regional Education Board, and that this makes it difficult to compete for quality faculty and students.

“When we are unable to attract top faculty to campus we are shortchanging our students in terms of the quality of education they should expect from a flagship institution,” he said.

In addition to the traditional tuition and fee increases, the trustees also approved the university’s request to create a new facilities fee of $2 per credit hour. The fee is expected to generate $837,000 annually to be dedicated specifically to campus facilities needs, including major projects and deferred maintenance for such things as roofs, elevators, fire safety equipment and code compliance.