BOISE, Idaho — During a meeting of the Idaho State Board of Education, Idaho education officials agreed to increase tuition at Boise State University (BSU), the University of Idaho (U of I), Lewis-Clark State College (LCC), and Idaho State University (ISU).
In total, resident undergraduate students at BSU, U of I, and ISU will all see a $425 annual increase. Resident undergraduates at LCC will see a tuition hike of $350 annually.
The meeting kicked off with a presentation by Boise State University's Interim Chief Financial Officer Stacy Pearson, who delivered a pro forma analysis of the school's financials. Pearson cited $6.7 million in state funding cuts to BSU as a primary driver for their 4.5% proposed tuition hike. However, she also cautioned the board not to rely too heavily on tuition increases in the future. With the increase, annual tuition at BSU for a resident undergraduate is now $9,789. Non-resident undergraduates will now pay $29,477 annually in tuition.
Pearson explained that in addition to the tuition hike, BSU has completed "program consolidation" to save money, including the combination of the College of Education and the School of Public Service. The College of Innovation and Design is also set to close once its graduates complete their degrees.
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ISU, U of I, and LCC all explained during their presentations that they, too, had participated in program and curriculum consolidation to save money and reduce the amount of their proposed tuition hikes.
Compared to similar institutions in the region, Idaho's universities and colleges offer relatively low-cost degrees to their in-state students. According to the University of Utah website, a resident's annual tuition costs $12,424.
"Even with our proposed increase, ISU remains one of the most affordable institutions in our peer group while we deliver exceptional value to Idaho students and families," said Jennifer Steele, ISU Vice President for Finance and University Planning.
You can find the new annual resident tuition rates for Idaho universities below:
- Boise State University - $9,789 (4.5% increase)
- University of Idaho - $9,825 (4.5% increase)
- Idaho State University - $9,339 (4.7%)
- Lewis Clark State College - $8,226 (4.4% increase)
Steele went on to explain that ISU had eliminated 44 staff positions in the past year and had saved $20 million in ongoing savings while claiming to have added $12 million in new revenue streams.
Despite the cuts and increased tuition, all university representatives expressed a need to financially plan for an increase in workforce-related programs and curriculum, including engineering and healthcare.
All the universities mentioned also increased their tuition rates for graduate and non-resident students.
William G. Gilbert, Jr., Vice-President, Business Affairs and Human Resources (BAHR) Chair, praised the university finance leaders for providing an unprecedented level of fiscal transparency during the analysis process to best set up Idaho institutions of higher education for sustainable success.
"It's about providing the best education that we can, and but doing it as efficiently as possible and balancing the needs and the costs, and understanding that it is a mosaic," said Gilbert.
Idaho State Board of Education Executive Director, Jennifer White, also cautioned the board and University representatives to use a diverse set of economic tools instead of just tuition increase in the future.
"I think we all recognize that tuition is one financial tool, but it is not a long-term solution," said White.
WATCH: The full Idaho State Board of Education meeting
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