The University of Arizona submitted its proposal to increase the undergraduate tuition rate for new students from Arizona by 2 percent for the 2019-2020 academic year, alongside other tuition and fee increases and changes, to the Arizona Board of Regents, Arizona’s three Arizona public universities’ governing body, on Mar. 22.
“The tuition proposal will help address the strategic priorities of the campus community, specifically better student outcomes in graduation and career readiness,” UA President Dr. Robert Robbins said in a UANews press release. “This is an investment that will directly benefit current and incoming students.”
Along with a two percent increase for new Arizona undergraduates, the tuition for new out-of-state undergraduates will increase by one percent. For Arizona graduate students, tuition will increase 1.89 percent for those at the Tucson campus and 1.59 percent for those at UA South.
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Along with no increases to out-of-state graduate student tuition, Robbins proposed no increases to mandatory fees on campus. New students to campus will pay a slightly higher Arizona Financial Aid Trust fee, which increases automatically with consumer indexes or tuition.
UA’s College of Medicine students will see a proposed 3 percent fee increase if they are studying at the Phoenix campus or will be first-year students at the Tucson campus.
“Incoming undergraduate students for the 2019-2020 academic year will be guaranteed the new tuition and fees rate for four consecutive years,” Robbins said in the proposal. “As expressed by student leadership, the tuition and fees guarantee remains a valued program for students and parents, allowing them to plan for the cost of attendance across the life of a student’s experience at the UA.”
While creating his tuition proposal to the regents, Robbins and his team sought student input from the UA’s student government bodies. According to Robbins, the specifics in his proposal were reached through discussion and collaboration with these student leaders on campus.
“The discussion between the university and the student leaders was constructive, and the proposed increase will fund several strategic initiatives to help students,” said Natalynn Masters, UA student body president, in a UANews press release following the proposal’s release.
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Before the proposal can be approved by the regents during their April 11 meeting on campus at the UA, a public hearing is being held by the regents to hear student reaction to the proposals from all three of Arizona’s public university presidents.
The hearing, located on the UA’s main campus, will take place April 2 from 5-7 p.m. in the Silver and Sage room of Old Main and is open to all students to share their opinions. The hearing is part of a live-streamed event across all of Arizona’s public university campuses.
Robbins will also present the details of his plan to the regents and students at Arizona State University on April 4 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m as part of a live-streamed tuition workshop.
Students can read Robbins’ full tuition and fee proposal, which includes changes to some class fees and differential tuition, here.
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