U of I considers tuition freeze for in-state freshmen

In an effort to better recruit “top students,” the University of Illinois is proposing a tuition freeze for in-state incoming freshmen next fall — the first such freeze in more than two decades.

“Student affordability is a top priority and we are committed to ensuring that costs are not a barrier to the lifelong opportunities that are provided by an education at the University of Illinois,” said President Robert Easter in a prepared statement.

The university’s Board of Trustees’ Audit, Budget, Finance and Facilities Committee is expected to review the proposal Monday. The full board is scheduled to vote on the plan at its Jan. 15 meeting in Chicago, school officials said.The proposed tuition freeze would apply to all three of the university’s campuses in Chicago, Urbana-Champaign and Springfield.Under the proposal, tuition rates would be: $12,036 a year at Urbana-Champaign; $10,584 at Chicago; and $9,405 at Springfield.If approved, the rate would remain unchanged for four years, under the state’s guaranteed tuition law, officials said.