U. of I. to vote on tuition freeze amid ongoing pandemic — but other costs grow

University of Illinois trustees are considering freezing undergraduate tuition rates at the school’s three campuses for the upcoming school year amid the ongoing pandemic.

Members of the university board’s Academic and Student Affairs Committee on Wednesday were briefed on the proposal for the 2021-2022 school year, which includes a base tuition rate freeze and slight increases in housing and student services fees.

Under the proposal, undergraduate students who live on campus would see “modest” increases on their bills. The room and board rates would increase by 2% at the Urbana-Champaign campus, 2.6% at the Chicago campus and 1.4% at the Springfield campus for the upcoming school year.

Small increases in student fees — $13 to $14 per semester — are a possibility at Urbana-Champaign and Chicago, too, officials said.

Meanwhile, base tuition for incoming in-state undergraduates will remain at $12,254 a year at Urbana-Champaign, $10,776 at Chicago and $9,502 at Springfield. Due to Illinois’ guaranteed tuition law, tuition rates will remain fixed for students for four years.

Though the tuition would remain the same as last year, this will be the first tuition increase to in-state undergraduate students will have to pay in five years. The U. of I. System froze in-state undergraduate tuition from 2015-19 in an attempt to lure more graduating Illinois high school students to stay in the state. Trustees voted to increase tuition last year before the coronavirus outbreak. The university ultimately covered the difference last year in an attempt to provide some relief as many faced financial hardships due to the pandemic.

“Maintaining affordable access to a University of Illinois education has never been more critical than now, as the state works to overcome the economic fallout of the pandemic,” U. of I. System President Tim Killeen said in a statement. “The opportunities presented by a world-class education help provide a way forward for the state and its residents. Freezing tuition rates for our undergraduates demonstrates our continued commitment to them and to their families.”

The full board will vote on the proposal when it meets Thursday morning.

Breaking it down

Under the proposal, the cost of room and board would increase by 2% at Urbana-Champaign, 2.6% in Chicago and 1.4% in Springfield.

That means a basic double room with a standard meal plan in Urbana-Champaign would rise to $11,392, up from $11,168 last year, and a basic double room and board rate in Chicago would cost $11,833, up from $11,553. In Springfield, a standard double room rate would increase to $10,960, up from $10,810.

Undergraduate students at Urbana-Champaign and Chicago would also see a rise in student fees, which help fund student programs and the school’s operating costs. Those fees at Urbana-Champaign would increase by $26 per year and will help cover an increase in cost of student transportation. In Chicago, the fees will rise by $28 per year in order to finance enhanced student mental health services.

Student fees, which help fund necessities, student programs and operating costs, add roughly $3,000 per year to the bill at Urbana-Champaign and Chicago and about $2,400 per year at Springfield.