The Georgia Board of Regents approved a 2.5 percent tuition rate increase for full-time, in-state undergraduate students for the 2019-20 academic year during its April 16 meeting.
The increased rate will affect students attending any University System of Georgia institution, including Kennesaw State. In the next academic year, KSU undergraduates will see their tuition rise from $2,713 to $2,781 — a difference of $68 for each semester. Other universities in the state will see tuition rise anywhere between $35 and $125 per semester.
According to a statement by the USG, a recent report by Georgia’s auditor showed that tuition rates within the USG average at 25 percent lower than peer institutions across other states.
“Limiting tuition increases to 2.5 percent will help enable institutions to balance the critical needs of affordability and quality for students and families,” USG Chancellor Steve Wrigley said.
Meanwhile, out-of-state students will see a much larger increase in tuition rates for the coming academic year. Out-of-state tuition at KSU will rise from $9,576 in the 2018-19 year to $9,815 in the 2019-20 year — a difference of more than $200 per semester.
The USG did not raise tuition before the beginning of this academic year, but it did raise the tuition by 2 percent before then for the 2017-18 academic year. Before then, in-state undergraduate tuition at KSU was $2,660 per semester, meaning the tuition will have increased by $121 per semester within three academic years.
“USG continues to offer some of the lowest tuition rates among peer state public higher education systems,” said Interim Executive Vice Chancellor for Fiscal Affairs Tracey Cook. “Out of the 16 states that make up the Southern Regional Education Board, USG ranks fourth-lowest in tuition and fees for four-year institutions, down from sixth-lowest last year.”
Wrigley said in the USG’s statement that, although the tuition rate is going up, the USG will continue to build upon projects within colleges and universities to help students save money on resources and improve graduation rates.
The USG launched two initiatives last year. The first, Momentum Year, aims to help with degree completion and graduation rates. The other initiative, called Know More, Borrow Less, aims to reduce student debt by educating students on their financial options when paying for tuition.
According to Nitro, the average student in America will owe $37,000 in student loans for their degree program in 2019 — averaging a payment of $393 per month.
“I don’t think it’s necessary for tuition to be so high as it is,” senior art major Olivia Rodriguez said. “Rising tuition just stresses students more than they already are. How are we supposed to focus on what’s really important when we have so many financial worries?”
