Truth in Tuition was held in the student council chambers to announce that the campus would honor Gov. Cox’s call to freeze tuition to help students with living expenses.
Held Feb. 26, the UVUSA Student Council heard a presentation from Scott Wood, director of budgets at UVU, where he informed the council that the university would maintain the current $3,150 for in-state tuition and $8,915 for out-of-state tuition for the 2023-2024 academic year.
During the presentation, Wood gave supporting statistics to show how UVU was doing in terms of its finances, demonstrating how things like stagnation in enrollment, tax funding requests, mandated costs and other factors have affected the university’s decision-making process.
“We want to maintain affordability for all our students,” Wood stated during the presentation. “We are an engaging institution; … all of those things are big factors in our annual budget.”
According to Wood’s presentation, the university received nearly 50% of its operating revenue from tuition and other fees. This statistic marks an odd time for the university, as nearly half of its operating budget is being funded through state tax dollars.
Part of this, according to Wood, is explained through a stagnant enrollment rate of the university. In the last two years, enrollment has stayed relatively the same for both fall and spring semesters.
“We are pretty much flat in headcount … in summer. In fall and spring, … we are seeing an increase in headcount,” Woods stated. “Though very small increases, we are still seeing increases in enrollment, which is great to see.”
Along with their tuition freeze, the university has requested nearly $6.2 million in new tax funds in their proposed budget to the state legislature.
During the meeting, the student council also voted unanimously to approve a student fee proposal that maintained fees at their current levels. It was noted by the council that suggestions were attached to these fees for next year’s council to consider allocating 10-60 cents more for the Den within the current athletics fee. However, this was a suggestion for next year’s council and not within the scope of the proposal.
As this has passed the student council, the student fee proposal will now go to the President’s Council, along with the tuition proposal; if approved, it will be sent for consideration to the Board of Trustees and finally to the Utah Board of Higher Education.
For more information about hearings and the student fee process, visit the UVUSA website.
