UA’s Guaranteed Tuition Plan Freezes Rates for Undergrads
Working in collaboration with undergraduate and graduate students, the University of Arizona has created the Guaranteed Tuition Plan, which will ensure incoming undergraduates have a fixed tuition price for eight consecutive semesters.

April 3, 2014


University of Arizona students and their families will have more predictable tuition costs under the University’s new Guaranteed Tuition Plan, which won approval from the Arizona Board of Regents today.

Resident students participating in the Guaranteed Tuition Plan will pay $10,957 (a 6 percent increase) and nonresidents will pay $29,421 (a 9 percent increase). Under the guaranteed plan, base tuition will remain at that level through the 2017-18 academic year.

“I understand how critical it is to keep education affordable,” UA President Ann Weaver Hart said. “The UA wants to see students graduate with the tools they need to succeed in the workforce. To do that, we must make sure they can afford to attend.”

It’s a mandatory plan for all new students and an optional one for continuing undergraduates. Tuition is fixed for eight consecutive semesters, which also serves as an incentive for students to graduate within four years.

The UA tuition changes approved Thursday for continuing students will increase to $10,581 (a 2 percent increase) for resident undergraduates and to $28,379 (a 5 percent increase) for nonresident undergraduates.

The changes will also increase resident graduate tuition to $11,723 (a 2 percent increase) and to $28,705 (a 5 percent increase) for nonresident graduate students.

The UA College of Medicine’s resident and nonresident tuition will rise to $30,283 (a 2 percent increase) and to $49,841 (also a 2 percent increase), respectively.

Tuition to the James E. Rogers College of Law will decrease for nonresident students for the 2014-15 academic year as part of a continuing effort to make law school more accessible. The approved tuition will decrease nonresident tuition to $29,000, down from $38,841, effective July 1.

UA officials worked with undergraduate and graduate students to create the Guaranteed Tuition Plan – part of the University’s annual tuition and fees proposal – which goes into effect for all incoming freshmen and transfer students entering in the fall. More information about UA tuition changes is available online.

The Guaranteed Tuition Plan garnered strong support from UA students during the Arizona Board of Regents tuition hearing on March 25. They told regents it will not only help them stay in school, but also allow them to budget their finances farther down the road.

“From the student prospective, guaranteed tuition is something that makes complete sense. It gives us the peace of mind to know exactly what we will be paying in tuition for four years,” said Morgan Abraham, president of the Associated Students of the University of Arizona. “Student guaranteed tuition is something that students have been asking for more than 20 years. We feel so fortunate that we have a university president who not only listens to the concerns of students, but who also addresses them.”

While it will be available only for undergraduates this year, the UA is exploring the possibility of offering it to some graduate students during the 2015-16 year.

In her tuition recommendations, Hart said that tuition revenue will go toward supporting the goals outlined in the Never Settle strategic academic and business plan, approved by ABOR in November 2013. Never Settle aims to enhance student success, double research funding and boost the number of college graduates in the state.

Hart noted that the UA has seen student headcount increase by 8 percent over the past five years while overall student retention has increased by 6 percent. Minority student retention has increased by 9 percent.

Share

Resources for the media

Andrea Smiley

University of Arizona Communications

520-621-1951

acsmiley@email.arizona.edu