Tuition and Room and Board Rates Set for 2011-12

LEXINGTON, Ky. (May 3, 2011) — The University of Kentucky Board of Trustees today approved a 6 percent increase in tuition and mandatory fees for the 2011-12 academic year.  This action allows the tuition and fee schedule to go before the Council on Postsecondary Education for approval in June.  The schedule complies with the tuition and fee parameters set by the CPE at its April 28 meeting.

Tuition and mandatory fees for Kentucky resident lower division (freshmen and sophomores) students will be $4,564 per semester, an increase of $259, and $4,696 for in-state upper division (juniors and seniors) students, an increase of $266.50. Non-Kentucky resident tuition will be $9,370 per semester for lower division students, an increase of $531 and $9,495 for upper division students, an increase of $538.

The graduate student rate will increase by 6 percent as well to $4,933 per semester for Kentucky resident students and $10,163 for non-Kentucky residents.

UK President Lee T. Todd Jr. recently announced his intention to reluctantly request the tuition increase to avoid a third year of no pay increase for employees, however the tuition increase will not cover the full budget deficit made worse by another state budget cut for the next fiscal year.

"This tuition increase strikes the right balance between the continuing struggles Kentuckians face in a still fragile economy and the needs of the university," Todd said. "I understand the pain tuition increases cause our students and their families. But we do our students a grave and lasting disservice if we let the quality of their undergraduate experience erode. And it will erode if flat salaries result in faculty and staff departures and if flat budgets keep us from investing in this university’s progress."

The Board of Trustees also approved single-digit increases for housing and dining rates.  The housing rates reflect an average increase of 9 percent for the 2011-12 academic year.  The rates support increases in operational expenses and are required to fund the increase in debt service related to construction of new housing in the North Campus area.  The housing is currently in the design phase with construction set to begin this summer.

The dining rates reflect a 3 percent increase for all plans which is expected to generate sufficient funds for fixed cost increases.