The University of Massachusetts Board of Trustees voted in favor of a 2.5 percent tuition increase for in-state undergraduate students enrolled at UMass for the 2018-19 academic year on July 13.
In addition, the board also voted to increase tuition for out-of-state students by 3 percent.
According to a press release, the increase for in-state tuition averages out to about $351 per student with average tuition increasing to $14,363 for the 2018-19 academic year across all UMass campuses. Comparatively, the increase for out-of-state tuition averages to about $938 per student and increases the average tuition for out-of-state students to $32,200.
“The board takes the impact of any tuition increase on students and their families very seriously,” said UMass Board of Trustees Chairman Rob Manning. “This is a moderate increase that will ensure UMass continues to deliver a world-class education at an affordable cost.”
According to the tuition page on the UMass website, tuition for UMass Amherst students for the 2018-19 academic year will be $15,406 for in-state students and $34,089 for out-of-state students.
The press release also noted the tuition increases met the board’s goal to keep all tuition increases at or below the rate of inflation.
The rate of inflation in higher education is measured by the Higher Education Price Index, which was 3.7 percent in the Fiscal Year 2017. In addition, the average tuition increase for the 2018-19 academic year for other New England public research universities is 3.1 percent.
According to the press release, “UMass’s 2.5 percent tuition increase falls below the historic rate of inflation for the higher education sector and below the average increase at peer institutions.”
UMass also expects to face increased costs in the upcoming fiscal year, with its operating budget expected to increase by $102 million in the Fiscal Year 2019. This represents a 3.1 percent increase over the previous fiscal year.
The press release also explained “UMass will increase its direct contributions to financial aid by more than $20 million, up 5.5 percent from last year.”
Tuition and fees for the UMass Medical School were set back in June and saw similar increases.
According to a MassLive article, proposed tuition and fees for the UMass medical school were $37,776 for in-state students and $63,326 for out-of-state students.
“This represents a 3 percent increase over fiscal 2018 mandatory tuition and fees,” said Jeff Cournoyer, the vice president of communications for the office of the UMass president, in the MassLive article.
“The UMass Medical School makes concerted, ongoing efforts to keep cost of medical education affordable while keeping the quality of medical education high. The school remains among the most affordable public medical schools in the nation,” Cournoyer added.
In the press release, President Marty Meehan said the increases in tuition will be used to benefit the UMass system.
President Meehan said, “This increase allows us to preserve the quality of our academic and research enterprises while minimizing the financial impact on students and their families, which is our top priority. The budget approved today will require us to continue to operate as efficiently as possible and cut costs where appropriate.”
Will Mallas can be reached at [email protected] and followed on Twitter @willmallas.
