The University of Nebraska Board of Regents plans to discuss a potential 5% increase in tuition for the upcoming school year as part of the $1.1 billion state-aided budget at its meeting Thursday.
If regents vote to approve the increase, resident students can expect to pay an additional $14 per credit hour, while nonresident students will pay an extra $44 per credit hour.
The increase, which was proposed after the state legislature approved a much lower budget increase than what university officials had sought, is expected to bring the university $17 million while still keeping it the most affordable university in the Big Ten.
“Affordability and accessibility remain the university’s top priorities,” NU President Dr. Jeffrey Gold said in a statement last week. “The budget that the board will consider ensures the University of Nebraska continues to be affordable and accessible, while also helping maintain the high-quality educational opportunities our students expect.”
The potential increase has left students at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln waiting for a decision that could lead to them forking over additional cash.
One resident student, Jalen-Thomas Kroger, said the possible increase will affect students’ finances and force them to hunt for even more funds to pay for their education.
“Obviously $14 per credit hour doesn’t really seem like that big of a difference, but when you’re taking 15 to 16 hours a semester, that kind of begins to add up, especially if you’re a nonresident student,” Kroger said. “Increasing what they have to spend to be educated is kind of heartbreaking to see,” Kroger said.
Nonresident student Scott Nester of North Dakota said these additional charges, among other financial burdens, will deter out-of-state students from looking at the University of Nebraska for higher education.
“We’re already paying so much more than everybody else. I feel like they’re not making it known that they want people to come from other states,” Nester said, “The way it’s coming across is like ‘please don’t come.’”
Even though Nester said he has financial support from family, money is still an issue for him, making the increase more daunting.
“The fact that I’m already struggling with money... just (purchasing) random things that I need,” Nester said. “I can’t even imagine having to earn more money and save it up to pay your tuition on top of all that.”
Nester said he feels this tuition increase does not follow NU’s goal of keeping students in Nebraska.
Kroger said he believes having to pay a higher price for tuition will contribute to Nebraska’s “brain drain.”
“(Students) aren’t staying here, so I don’t understand why we would essentially try to turn people away from even coming to Nebraska even for the short period of time that is four years,” Kroger said.