The Idaho State Board of Education on Monday approved budgets for the state’s four-year higher education institutions that include few significant rises in fees, tuition and other student-borne costs.
Last month, the board voted for the second consecutive year not to raise tuition at state universities for Idaho residents seeking a bachelor’s degree — a move that drew broad support from university leadership. Board President Kurt Liebich remarked Monday colleges in the state were fairly conservative in their requests related to other revenue streams, which include nonresident tuition and student fees.
University of Idaho Vice President for Finance and Administration Brian Foisy said not only has UI committed to keeping tuition for in-state undergraduates flat, they have proposed a tuition freeze for out-of-state undergraduates and for both in- and out-of-state graduate students.
“The only increases are a 3.9 percent professional fee increase for the College of Law, and a relatively minor increase in our overall student activity fee,” Foisy said. “These are actually not proposals that come forward from the administration of the university, but actually proposals that come from the students themselves. We simply present them for your consideration.”This leaves the UI’s tuition and mandatory fees for Idaho residents seeking a bachelor’s degree at $8,340, and for undergraduate students who are not Idaho residents, $27,576. Foisy said these prices keep the UI significantly below the average student-borne cost at peer institutions.