CSU governors increase tuition for next fiscal year

FORT COLLINS — Tuition at Colorado State University will increase by 3% for state residents next year, the limit permitted by state law. For out-of-state students, tuition will increase by 4%.

The board of governors of the university system approved budgets at its meeting Thursday, which included the tuition increases. Operations for the university system will also benefit from increases in state aid, which totaled an increase of 9% this year, the university said in a press statement released during the meeting.

“Our state leaders have a real challenge every year when they work on the state budget because Colorado ranks near the bottom nationally in state funding for higher education — and we started this budget cycle concerned that we would continue to fall behind in a way that would not serve our students or the broader state,” Chancellor Tony Frank said in the press statement. “Instead, lawmakers delivered stable funding to public higher education, and we appreciate that they recognize the importance of providing access to an affordable world-class education and serving the entire state through teaching, research and service.”

Approved budgets for the fiscal year that begins July 1 include the tuition increases, which amount to $186 a semester for in-state students attending CSU in Fort Collins; nonresident tuition will increase by $653 per semester. About a quarter of the tuition increases will be spent on student financial aid.

At CSU Pueblo, undergraduate tuition for Colorado resident students will increase $128 a semester.

CSU Fort Collins has budgeted for a 1% increase in compensation for faculty and administrative professional staff. CSU Pueblo will increase faculty and staff salaries with a 3% merit pool for faculty and administrative professional staff. 

CSU Global, the university system’s online university, does not receive state funding or collect student fees and has not raised tuition rates since its inception in 2007. However, for the coming year, tuition for CSU Global will have a $375 per credit rate for undergraduate courses and an $675 per credit rate for graduate-level courses. Existing students will not see a change in tuition rates due to the school’s tuition guarantee.