06/14/2006

The University of Nebraska Board of Regents today approved a 5 percent increase in tuition for 2006-07, as well as a 1 percent assessment to meet the matching requirements of LB 605, the facilities renovation legislation approved in 2006. Nebraska resident undergraduates will see a per-credit-hour increase of $7.25 at UNK, $8.25 at UNO, $9.00 at UNL and UNMC, and $11.50 in UNMC’s College of Nursing.

“Affordable access to a quality education is the number one priority of the Board of Regents, and moderate, predictable tuition increases are key,” said Board Chair Jim McClurg. “Last fall, we projected a tuition increase of 9 percent for 2006-07 to fund the university’s priorities. We are very pleased that we were able to keep the increase well below that benchmark.”

McClurg added, “Our annual tuition continues to stay below the average of each campus’ peer institutions, and the increase for this fall is in line with what our peers are proposing.” NU’s tuition compares with planned increases averaging 6.5 percent for UNO’s peers, 6.6 percent for UNL’s peers, and 5.7 percent for UNK’s peers, according to a phone survey conducted by the university’s budget office.

Tuition dollars help fund faculty salaries, diversity initiatives, programs of excellence on each campus, facilities costs such as utilities and maintenance, and the continuing operations of the university.

President James B. Milliken noted, “We have significant goals relating to the quality of the university. We need to bring our faculty salaries up to the mid-point of their peers, increase the number of Nebraskans who attend and graduate from college, and invest in academic programs of high quality.” Milliken added, “Achieving those goals will depend on moderate tuition increases, strong state support and adequate need-based aid.”

Funding for need-based aid remains a priority, McClurg said. “This year, we will increase funding for need-based aid by 13.6 percent,” he said. “But there is still a gap between what many students can afford and what is provided through state and federal aid. As the state’s demographics change, it will become increasingly important to ensure that adequate need-based aid is available.”

Peer data:
2005-06 resident, undergraduate tuition, based on 15 credit hours per semester:
UNL: $4,530         UNL Peer average: $5,832
UNO: $4,133        UNO Peer average: $4,453
UNK: $3,668        UNK Peer average: $4,222

NU’s tuition increase for 2006-07 compared to peer averages: (Based on June 2006 available data)
UNL: 5%+1% capital        UNL Peer average: 6.6%
UNO: 5%+1% capital        UNO Peer average: 6.5%
UNK: 5%+1% capital        UNK Peer average: 5.7%