NEW BRITAIN, Conn. — Starting next year, students at state universities and colleges will be paying more for their tuition.
This comes after a hike was imposed last year as well.
Students will see a 5% tuition hike and will vary by university.
"It kind of sucks," said David Solovyev, a sophomore at Central Connecticut State University.
The Board of Regents for Higher Education voted Thursday for the tuition hike. It was news that left students to wonder why they chose a state university to begin with.
"Part of the reason I’m here is because it’s one of the cheaper options," added Solovyev.
The Connecticut State Colleges and Universities (CSCU) faced a $140 million deficit once pandemic relief funds dried up and was left with no choice, Chancellor Terrence Cheng told FOX61 on Zoom.
"It is the result of a structural deficit for the system and several of our institutions where we simply don’t have enough revenue coming in to sustain our operations," said Cheng.
Some students, however, did not buy it and argued these hikes had happened in the past, before the pandemic.
"They were doing it before they got the grant money, so I feel like maybe that’s not entirely true, maybe there’s some benefit for them," added Solovyev.
State universities will pay $334, state colleges will pay $216 and Charter Oak College is exempt.
Essentially, students will pay hundreds more and more is not exactly what they signed up for.
"That’s mostly what people are looking for now is affordable colleges to go to because if you want to pursue a profession like being a doctor, you already know you have a lot of expenses and debts lined up for you in the future," said Sanaa Singleton, a freshman of Central Connecticut State University.
To break it down further, housing fees for all state universities will increase from two to 3.5% and food service will range from three to 3.5%.
"We are not born with silver spoons in our mouths and we know what it’s like to earn a dollar and spend a dollar," added Chancellor Cheng.
FOX61 asked the chancellor if he anticipates another hike after this one and he said he hopes not.
The hike will go into effect in Fall 2024.
Carmen Chau is an anchor and reporter at FOX61 News. She can be reached at cchau@fox61.com. Follow her on Facebook and X.
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