STATESBORO — The University System of Georgia’s Board of Regents voted Tuesday not to hike in-state undergraduate tuition rates for many of its schools, marking the seventh time in 10 years it has avoided tuition increases for most Georgia college students.
Some of the USG’s smaller universities, however, will see price increases. And people who come to Georgia’s universities from out of state or out of country will experience a tuition raise yet again.
Last year, the board voted to increase out-of-state tuition by 5% and by 7% for foreign students. This fall, out-of-state students face a 2% increase while people from outside the United States will have to pay 3% more. The USG has about 50,000 out-of-state students and roughly 27,000 out-of-country students.
In recent history, the USG has prided itself on efforts to keep tuition low for Georgians. Last year it raised in-state tuition by 2.5%, but that was the first increase since 2019. And according to an audit released in December, the USG said when adjusted for inflation, its students on average are paying less in tuition than they were in 2017.
“Affordability and efficiency are always at the forefront when setting tuition rates,” Tracey Cook, the system’s chief fiscal officer, said during her presentation to the board during a meeting at Georgia Southern University. “Since 2016 the average annual tuition increases have been less than 1% a year, far below the rate of inflation.”
While tuition will remain flat for Georgia’s largest universities – apart from some online graduate programs at Georgia Tech – the board voted to raise prices at some smaller institutions.
Per semester tuition at Atlanta Metropolitan State will go up from $1,605 to $1,635. East Georgia State, Georgia Highlands and South Georgia State colleges are set to raise tuition from $1,515 to $1,575 per semester. During Tuesday’s meeting, the board also voted to approve the consolidation of Georgia Southern University and East Georgia State College, with USG Chancellor Sonny Perdue stressing that the East Georgia State College campus, located in Swainsboro, will not be closing.
While the price tag of four-year programs at Albany State University and the University of North Georgia won’t change, their two-year degree programs will. At ASU the figures will rise from $1,665 to $1,980 per semester. UNG’s two-year per semester tuition will jump from $1,785 to $2,145.
Housing costs will also rise at many Georgia campuses, by slightly more than $100 a semester.
Tuesday’s meeting was held at Georgia Southern University’s Statesboro campus where many students, including freshman Dallas Thompson, were unaware that their tuition was being discussed. Thompson welcomed the news, suspecting a tuition raise would result in her having to take on more student debt. Similarly, freshman Lindsey Deverter of Gainesville was relieved to hear her tuition wouldn’t increase. “Especially having to pay for school yourself,” Deverter said.
“I don’t have to pay more?” said freshman Cohen Rogers. “That’s good.”
Dheekshaa Balaji from Suwanee didn’t have a strong opinion about the flat rate, but considering she doesn’t receive much financial aid, said, “I kind of wish it had gone lower.”
There was no discussions or questions from the regents before they voted in favor of the tuition changes, but in a press release after the vote, Perdue said the USG and the board are focused on keeping college affordable for Georgia families.
“As more students than ever enroll on our campuses, we continue to prioritize reducing financial barriers and offering excellent value,” Perdue said. “Coupled with today’s decision, USG is making a real investment in Georgia’s future — ensuring that a college degree can help more Georgians unlock opportunities for personal prosperity and contribute to the state’s growth.”
Here are the per semester undergraduate tuition rates for the fall semester for Georgia’s five largest public universities:
School In-state Out-of-state Out-of-country
Georgia Tech $5,256 $16,798 $17,286
University of Georgia $5,017 $15,439 $15,887
Georgia State University $4,590 $15,000 $15,420
Kennesaw State University $2,850 $10,515 $10,815
Georgia Southern University $2,805 $10,335 $10,635
Source: University System of Georgia
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