The cost to attend UConn is schedule to increase by 26% over the next four years, but the university’s Board of Trustees may vote to increase tuition and fees even more.
It currently costs commuters about $12,000 a year to attend UConn. The fee for in-state students, who live on campus, is roughly double that number. But, UConn President Susan Herbst says the trustees are looking into further increases because of the university’s rapidly increasing employee healthcare and retirement benefits obligations.
If the trustees approve these measures, in a meeting scheduled for Wednesday, UConn could cost 6 percent more to attend next year compared to this year. And, those living on campus would pay $1,210 next school year.
Herbst told the General Assembly’s Appropriations Committee yesterday how dire the school’s financial position is, despite the state’s 15 million increase in support for the Next Generation initiative.
“We’ve given a lot to UConn. We’ve invested thinking that we would get a return on that investment and certainly it would translate into stable tuition fees,” said Vin Candelora, the Deputy House Republican Leader.
“I read that today and was not happy. That did not come up yesterday. But, I think, both the State University System and UConn, when they say they’re going to increase fees, that’s sort of a hidden way of increasing tuition,” said Assistant Senate Democratic Leader Beth Bye.
If the additional hike is ultimately approved?
“It’s like go to school or be in debt for 20 years after college,” said Erin Stack, a UConn freshman from Waterbury, who noted she will have paid approximately $27,000 for her first year of college.