KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The University of Tennessee Board of Trustees will consider a record fifth year of low tuition increases when it meets June 21.
In preparation of that meeting and to meet new legislative guidelines, the University released the proposed tuition increases for UT Knoxville, UT Chattanooga and UT Martin on June 5 and requested feedback from students and the public. The proposed increases range from 2 to 2.5 percent, which are within the range set by the Tennessee Higher Education Commission.
UT began self-limiting tuition increases in 2015, and these are the first five consecutive years of undergraduate tuition increases of 3 percent or less in 51 years.
“The University of Tennessee continues to do all that it can to make sure that higher education is accessible for all Tennesseans,” said UT System Interim President Randy Boyd. “From keeping our tuition low to establishing UT Promise, we want to help ease the financial burden for our students and their families.”
UT Knoxville has proposed a 2 percent increase, which is a $258 increase from fiscal year 2018-2019 to fiscal year 2019-2020. The majority of the increase is for tuition, but also includes a $26 increase to the student programs and services fee, which will be used toward a future recreational sports project anticipated for fiscal year 2023-2024. The rate also includes a $10 library fee increase, which will be used to help offset annual inflation rates.
UT Chattanooga has proposed a 2.5 increase, which would result in a $216 increase from fiscal year 2018-2019 to fiscal year 2019-2020. UT Chattanooga also has proposed a new tuition structure called Soar in Four for new students starting in fall 2019. Students entering under the Soar in Four program, similar to programs already established at UT Knoxville and UT Martin, will pay a flat rate of $9,656 for 15 credit hours or more a semester rather than the current rate based on 12 hours a semester. By taking at least 15 hours a semester, students should be able to graduate in four years.
UT Martin has proposed a 2.5 percent increase, which is $236 more from fiscal year 2018-2019 to fiscal year 2019-2020. The proposed increase will cover the growth in costs of providing programs to its students.
Earlier this year UT unveiled the UT Promise scholarship, which will start during the fall of 2020. It is a last-dollar scholarship program that will guarantee free tuition and fees for students with a family household income of under $50,000 after other financial aid is received (such as Pell Grants, HOPE Scholarship or other institutional scholarships). Students must qualify for the Hope Scholarship and meet the academic qualifications for the institution to be eligible for the UT Promise scholarship. To help ensure success, students will also be matched with volunteer mentors and complete four hours of service learning each semester.
Proposal and comment forms can be found at trustees.tennessee.edu/tuition-and-fee-proposals.
Feedback from students, parents and the public is requested.
For more information, contact Jennifer Sicking, assistant director of media relations for the UT System, at jsicking@tennessee.edu or 865-974-5179.
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