ATLANTA — Nearly all of Georgia's public colleges and universities will avoid a tuition hike next year, the state university system's board said Tuesday.
The lone exception among the 26 schools that are part of the system will be Middle Georgia State University, according to a release.
The Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia said that for the rest, tuitions will remain static for a fourth year in a row.
“By holding the line on tuition, the Board of Regents is once again championing the students and families of Georgia,” USG Chancellor Sonny Perdue said in a statement. “What should also be clear is that the University System of Georgia remains strongly focused on our highest priorities of degree attainment, efficiency and affordability. That doesn’t negate the financial headwinds and increasing costs our institutions face, and I look forward to working with Governor Brian Kemp and the Georgia General Assembly to do everything we can to try to restore funding.”
According to the board, Middle Georgia State's exception is part of a "three-year plan to align its undergraduate tuition with other universities in the same academic sector."
There had been concerns about an increase in tuitions after the state passed a budget with $66 million in cuts to the university system. That was down from an original budget proposal that could have cut $100 million.
The state university system's funding became something of a political wedge in the Georgia General Assembly this legislative term.
The proposed cut was nearly the same amount given to Augusta University in the 2023 fiscal year budget for a new electronic medical records system at the Medical College of Georgia. WellStar Health, which drew the ire of some Senate Republicans for opposing a bill to relax requirements for building new hospitals in rural counties, was finalizing a deal to take over Augusta University Health System.
Because of enrollment declines, the university system saw a drop in funds at most schools under state funding formulas. It decreased to about $71.6 million at 20 schools.
“We have been a good deal for Georgia,” Perdue said. “With the board’s decision today, we remain a great deal. Still, our institutions face strong financial challenges. We’re reaching a tipping point at which we need to mitigate inflationary pressures in order to maintain the quality of education.”
In a related move to the spat over higher education funding, Gov. Brian Kemp voted for a Republican bill that would have required legislative approval for any tuition increase of more than 3%.