Arizona’s three public university presidents once again are proposing to gouge students and likely strap them with more student loan debt according to their tuition proposals for the 2018‐19 academic year. The proposals were released on Friday, and include tuition increases for incoming resident freshmen at the University of Arizona and Northern Arizona University.
There are no tuition increases proposed for continuing resident undergraduate students at Arizona State University (ASU), Northern Arizona University (NAU) and the University of Arizona (UA).
No tuition increases are proposed for incoming and continuing resident undergraduate students at ASU.
The tuition increases proposed for incoming resident freshmen at NAU is 3.5 percent and a 2 percent increase at UA.
A mandatory $150 per year athletic fee is proposed at NAU, and ASU proposes an increase of $30 per year in its mandatory health and wellness fee.
Although Arizona Board of Regents Chair Bill Ridenour claimed “tuition affordability and predictability have been crucial priorities for the board,” he said he was “proud” of the latest increases. He claimed the regents have kept “increases low for Arizona students and families.”
“This year’s proposals align with the board’s direction to keep tuition as low as possible while also allowing the universities to stay on
course as they achieve critical goals for the state,” Ridenour said.
The next event in the process for setting tuition at Arizona’s public universities is a public hearing that the Arizona Board of Regents will hold for students and individuals to comment and provide feedback regarding the tuition proposals from 5‐7 p.m. on Tuesday, March 27. Comments at the tuition hearing will be heard on a first‐come, first‐served basis at sites throughout the state.
On Thursday, March 29 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., ABOR will host a tuition workshop where the university presidents will present their proposals at the ASU Memorial Union, Turquoise Room. On Thursday, April 5, the board is expected to set final tuition and fees for the 2018‐19 academic year. The meeting will be held at the University of Arizona. Both meetings will be live‐streamed.
Public comments regarding tuition and fees will not be taken at the March 29 or April 5 meetings given the statewide public hearings that will be held on March 27. Individuals may also send comments via e‐mail to the Arizona Board of Regents at tuition@azregents.edu; by regular mail, at 2020 N. Central Ave., Suite 230, Phoenix, AZ 85004; or by fax at (602) 229‐2555. Comments received prior to April 2 at 5 p.m. will be shared with the regents in advance of the April 6 meeting.