CHAMPAIGN —The University of Illinois Board of Trustees voted Thursday to raise tuition at all three of its universities.
Tuition for incoming, in-state students will increase by 2%. It will increase more for out-of-state and international students.
“Every year, it’s a heroic task to do this,” said University of Illinois System President Tim Killeen. “Managing through difficult fiscal times but with an abiding commitment to affordability.”
The Trump administration upended the stability of research grants going to universities over the last year. The University of Illinois has felt the impacts but has not been as affected as some institutions.
Board of Trustees Chairman Jesse Ruiz said state support helps keep costs relatively low.
“We’re very fortunate that the Illinois General Assembly and the Governor’s Office has been very supportive of higher education and has increased higher education funding in our state,” he said.
Illinois law requires universities to hold tuition steady for in-state undergraduates for four years, so current students will not be affected.
Over half of in-state students pay less than $3,000 a semester for tuition because of financial aid, according to the University of Illinois System.
Costs will go up mostly for out-of-state and international students, especially in Urbana-Champaign.
UIUC is raising out-of-state tuition 7% for most programs. Increases are between 2-5% for out-of-state students in Springfield and Chicago. The board also voted to increase student fees, which cover things like health, transportation, and facilities maintenance.
A recent poll by Pew Research estimates that only about 12% of Americans think universities are doing a good job at keeping college affordable.