The University of Memphis is considering a tuition hike for next school year, but no decisions will be made until the state legislature convenes and starts discussing the state budget for next year.
A year ago, U of M officials announced before the holidays that it was seeking a freeze in tuition for the 2014-15 school year, but no such announcement has been made considering the cost of tuition for 2015-16.
Exactly how much the tuition increase will be hinges on the amount of money Tennessee lawmakers give to higher educations in the new-year budget, said Jeannie Smith, assistant vice president for finance at the U of M.
“Discussions have not yet begun and therefore, no decisions have been made regarding the maintenance fee (in-state tuition rate) or out-of-state tuition rates for next year,” Smith said. Though the date for the decision is unknown, Smith said tuition rates are annually set by the Tennessee Board of Regents at their June board meeting.
Last year, the Tennessee Board of Regents approved the tuition freeze, the first the University has seen in more than 20 years.
Yet despite the freeze in tuition, students still paid more to go to school this year due to an increase in fees, which amounted to about $307 for the year per full-time student.
Of that $307, about $9 is going to support the Student Health Services, which helps fund the Student Health Center on campus. The other $298 in annual fee money is reserved for building a pedestrian bridge over the railroad tracks near Southern and a new campus recreational center.
Students who pay the fee and graduate before construction is complete will be able to utilize the recreation center for free for number of semesters they paid the fee, said student body president Ricky Kirby.
Kirby said the SGA is in constant contact with the administration about the cost of attending school.
“SGA actively engages administrators in this conversation, and we are constantly providing proposals to help maintain affordability for our students,” Kirby said. “We are not afraid to voice our opinions and advise cuts where we think they would best benefit students.”
Full-time University of Memphis students currently pay $1,563 per year in mandatory program fees that goes towards everything from new technology to free tickets at athletic events.
All tuition and fee changes must be approved by the Tennessee Board of Regents, but U of M administration can recommend a decision.
“The University is committed to minimizing the impact of increasing costs to students to the greatest extent possible without compromising the quality of their education,” Smith said.
With tuition and fees, the U of M is the second most expensive state school in Tennessee. Students taking 15 credit hours both semesters pay about $8,973 in tuition and fees for the year.
At the University of Tennessee Knoxville, the most expensive state university in Tennessee, the estimated cost for two semesters is $11,249. Middle Tennessee State University students will pay $8,084 and those who attend the University of Tennessee at Martin pay $8,024.
While the U of M’s Student Government Association and members of The Division of Student Affairs supported last years increase in student fees, many on campus are not happy to pay more to attend the university.
Biology Major Victoria Carter said she feels like she is paying enough in fees and believes that rising cost could lead to more drop outs.
“I really hope that tuition doesn’t increase,” she said. “We already are paying so much extra in fees each semester so it will undoubtedly be more to attend school even without tuition going up. If we want to see a higher retention rate at our school, we need to find a way to lower tuition, not raise it.”
