The Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia (USG) voted to approve tuition rates for the 2024-25 academic year at USG’s 26 public colleges and universities. Systemwide, in-state undergraduate tuition will increase by 2.5%, and out-of-state tuition will increase by 5%. A new, third level of tuition for out-of-country students will also be established at 2% more than the rate for out-of-state students.
This comes as the Board kept tuition flat at all but one USG institution for six of the past eight years. Escalating costs for people, goods and services, increased competition from the private sector for talent and overall inflation have all contributed to growing pressure on institutional budgets, resulting in today’s decision.
USG’s strong commitment to keeping college affordable for students in Georgia has meant average tuition increases for an undergraduate, in-state Georgia student over the past eight years have been less than 1%, well below the rate of inflation.
Two years ago, thanks to the support of Governor Brian Kemp and the Georgia General Assembly, the board was able to eliminate a mandatory Special Institutional Fee that students had been charged systemwide since 2009. The fee had been established during the Great Recession to provide financial support to maintain high-quality academic programs and operations during the reductions in state funding.
Coming at the same time as tuition was held flat, the fee’s elimination reduced college costs starting with the 2022-23 academic year and saved students anywhere between $340 to $1,088 for the year, depending on the institution they attended.
“Maintaining affordability is one of the highest priorities of the university system and the Board of Regents,” USG Chancellor Sonny Perdue said. “We are a good deal for Georgians, and we have worked to protect that value particularly for our Georgia undergraduates as we balance affordability with institutional sustainability and academic quality. Our institutions face increasing costs to operate, and we must sustain their momentum as some of the best in the nation at helping students succeed on campus and in the workforce.”
Among the 16 Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) states, Georgia is the third lowest in average undergraduate tuition and required fees compared to its public peers, according to national data from the College Board. College Board data also ranks USG as the sixth lowest in average tuition and fees compared to its peers across the nation, making USG institutions an excellent value for Georgia students and families.
Middle Georgia State University, the only institution to raise tuition during the last academic year, will also be finishing the last of a three-year plan to align its undergraduate tuition with other universities in the same academic sector.
The board today additionally approved changes to the mandatory fee structure at 20 of USG’s 26 institutions to address the significant growth in the number of students taking classes via fully online course delivery.
The approved structure means fully online students will be charged an online learning fee equivalent to their institution’s technology fee, as well as 50% of their institution’s mandatory fees.
This change provides more consistency to the institutional fees for all students. Mandatory fees support and enhance campus programming and student-focused activities, technology and athletic programs – all critical components to the college experience.
Student affordability remains a priority of the Board and USG. Similar to many Georgia families, institutions are experiencing rising costs of goods and services to include escalating costs for technology, software, food, utilities and insurance. Labor costs are also escalating. Additionally, at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in FY21, the university system sustained a budget reduction of $230 million.
Tuition rates for each institution may be found here.
