Our Commitment to Students

LEXINGTON, KY. (April 30, 2021) — University of Kentucky President Eli Capilouto sent the email below to UK students, faculty and staff Friday.

Dear Campus Community,

One of the most important considerations for new and current students (as well as their families) is the cost of an education — something we have made tremendous strides to address in recent years as part of our mission to place students first in everything that we do.

We’ve worked to significantly hold down annual tuition increases, while investing more and more in scholarships and grants that don’t have to be repaid and that are particularly targeted to students with the most need.

We plan to strengthen that commitment to students even more in the coming year. During the June meeting of the UK Board of Trustees, I will propose for the 2021-2022 academic year an increase in tuition and mandatory fees of only 1 percent. 

If approved by the board, this would be the second consecutive year of the lowest tuition and mandatory fee increase in more than 30 years.

In fact, over the last 10 years, we will have reduced the four-year average annual increase for resident undergraduate students from 7.3% to 1.7%.

In dollar terms, undergraduate tuition and mandatory fees in fall 2021 for in-state students would increase from $6,242 to $6,305 and for out-of-state students, tuition and mandatory fees would go from $15,647 to $15,804.

This historically small increase is important, though, in creating the resources necessary to strongly support our students — academically and in terms of their mental and physical health and well-being. I’m proud of the leadership position our institution has taken in holistic support for students during the pandemic. It is an approach we plan to take in supporting students even as we return to more normal operations.

This past year, as one example, we established UK Health Corps, which helped oversee contact tracing, screening and testing efforts; provided support for our vaccination initiatives (now more than 60 percent of students are either vaccinated or in the process of receiving a vaccine); and offered academic and wellness support for students during times of need. It’s a centralized, comprehensive approach to student success, safety and well-being unlike any other.

If approved, graduate tuition and fees would also increase by 1 percent. For in-state graduate students, this means an increase in tuition and fees from $6,769 to $6,837 for the fall 2021 semester. For out-of-state graduate students, this would mean an increase in tuition and fees from $16,608 to $16,774. We also are working on other initiatives, designed to increase financial and service support for our graduate students, who play such a vital role on campus in teaching, research, service and care. We will have more details on those efforts in the coming weeks.

These historic tuition measures are part of a comprehensive effort to make the distinctive education you provide for our students more affordable. Students with less need are more likely to be successful and graduate on time. The record retention and graduation rates we’ve achieved together in recent years are a testament to our commitment to students and families.

With that, there are other measures we are proposing to hold down costs and streamline the process for students and families when they are making decisions about their options for classes this fall:

For undergraduate students who are in programs that are primarily on campus — meaning not fully online — tuition and fees will be based on residency. 

And tuition and fees for these programs will be capped once a student enrolls in 12 credit hours, so students will not pay more for any additional hours they take above 12 credit hours or based on the modality of the class.

The format of the class — whether in-person, hybrid or online — will not impact the rates. Most of UK’s undergraduate programs will be offered on the UK Campus.

For programs based fully online, tuition and mandatory fees will be priced residency-blind, meaning a set hourly rate per credit hour regardless of whether a student is in-state or out-of-state. 

The proposed tuition and mandatory fee rate for an online undergraduate program would increase from $607.00 per credit hour to $613.50. 

We are also proposing to eliminate the distance learning fee for all undergraduate students.

More details will be released about the tuition proposals in conjunction with UK’s budget, which will be considered by the UK Board of Trustees at its meeting, June 16-17. These measures, if approved by our Board, represent one more way we are demonstrating our commitment to students and their success. You make that possible for our students. And you show them every day how much they mean to our community and the future of the state we serve.

Thank you.

Eli Capilouto

President