University of Minnesota considers tuition increases

The University of Minnesota is considering raising tuition at each of its five campuses next school year as U leaders try to deal with inflation, demands for higher wages and other factors straining their budgets.

Tuition rates at the U vary depending on the type of program and the location where classes are held. Under a proposal before the Board of Regents next week, Minnesotans taking undergraduate classes at the Twin Cities campus would pay $15,148 in tuition next school year, a 4.5% increase. Increases on other campuses would range from 1.5% to 4.5%.

The tuition rates are outlined in a $5 billion budget proposal that would also increase salaries for some employees and call for cuts to some parts of the university. U faculty have called on leaders to increase their salaries as research shows their salaries are not comparable to those of some other major research universities.

“While it is challenging to build a budget that achieves strategic goals and advances university excellence in the face of rising costs, flat state support and limited revenue growth, this budget successfully addresses key priorities shared by the president and Board of Regents,” U leaders wrote in documents prepared for next week’s board meeting. “It does this by investing in building and sustaining excellence, establishing a responsible tuition and fee plan and by challenging all units within the university to continually prioritize and improve efficiencies to move resources to areas of highest strategic impact or need.”

The regents will accept feedback online and in a public forum on May 10. They are expected to hold a final vote on the budget in June.

The U has raised tuition several times in recent years, and leaders indicated in budget documents that proposed rates for next school year are “higher than originally planned and proposed,” in part because they have not received additional state funding.

The U asked state lawmakers for another $45 million to support its “core mission,” money that could be spent on capping tuition, promoting research or expanding student services. During legislative hearings, lawmakers from both parties have asked for more details about America’s spending and plans to address declining enrollment in some locations.

Without that additional funding, the U proposal calls for increasing tuition for Minnesota residents attending the Duluth campus by 1.5% to $12,958, and increasing tuition on the Rochester campus by 4.5% to $13,854 . Some campuses have higher tuition rates for students living in other states.

Student government leaders say they understand that the United States must find ways to deal with inflation, but they have also encouraged administrators to remember that an increase of a few hundred dollars can impact a student’s ability to pay for school or rent.

“We in student government will always advocate for the university to keep tuition as low as possible because we understand that this can prevent students from accessing affordable higher education,” said Sara Davis, student government president. “We want people to come here and we want to keep the talent we have in Minnesota here.”

U leaders say they hope changes to financial aid programs will offset some of the tuition increases for students most in need. The federal government has increased the amount of aid some students can receive through Pell Grants in recent years. Minnesota is also launching a North Star Promise program that will cover tuition for residents attending a public school in the state if their families earn less than $80,000 a year.

The U also asked employees for proposals to reduce costs, saying: “To be successful, operations must become more efficient and existing resources must be reprioritized.”

Some divisions eliminate positions when employees leave or hire new employees at a lower cost. Some are cutting budgets for supplies, food or travel or organizing fewer events.

“While the total amount of cost savings is significant, it does not represent one or two major initiatives,” leaders wrote in budget documents. “Instead, it is a collection of individual actions and decisions, spanning virtually every unit of the university.”