University of Illinois system board members approved the proposed tuition freeze for in-state freshmen for the fall 2018 semester. The tuition freeze applies to all University of Illinois campuses: Urbana-Champaign, Chicago and Springfield.

Tuition rates for some graduate and professional programs will increase in Urbana-Champaign and Chicago, but not in Springfield.

This extends the opportunity for affordability to help keep students in Illinois for college, according to the news release.

The four-year freeze is the longest one since 1974.

According to the news release, in 2016, 46 percent of college-bound high school graduates in Illinois enrolled in out-of-state universities. 

Base tuition for in-state undergraduates will continue to match the rates since the 2014-2015 academic year — $12,036 a year in Urbana-Champaign, $10,584 in Chicago and $9,405 in Springfield. No change is expected to tuition differentials for academic units at any of the campuses. Tuition differentials cover the additional educational costs across different areas of study.  

Increases in tuition for out-of-state and international freshmen students were also approved. Tuition will increase by 1.6 percent in Urbana-Champaign next fall, and there will be a new $750 per semester differential for international students studying in the College of LAS.  

In Springfield, rates for non-resident freshmen will not change. In Chicago, an increase in base tuition of 1.5 percent for most out-of-state freshmen is expected, while out-of-state students who qualify under a high-achievement program can expect a 1.4 percent increase in tuition. International rates will increase to 1.6 percent.

Increases in mandatory student fees and room-and-board rates were also approved for the 2018-2019 academic year.

These fees will increase by 0.7 percent, or $20, to $3,058 a year in Urbana-Champaign. In Chicago, fees will increase 0.4 percent, or $14, to $3,146 a year, according to the news release.

The increase will fund the operation campus recreational facilities, student unions, career services, athletics, counseling centers, libraries, facility maintenance, renovations and utilities.

No changes are proposed for Springfield, though annual fees will increase by $200 next year to $2,426. This increase reflects the first full year of a student-approved fee to help finance a new student union in Springfield that takes effect with the spring 2018 semester.

Room-and-board costs will remain the same in Urbana-Champaign, where the standard double-occupancy room and meal plan is $10,612 per year. These costs are similarly frozen for students for up to four years if students continue to live in campus residence halls.

In Chicago, the cost for a standard double-occupancy room and meal plan will increase 1 percent to $11,070 per year. In Springfield, a standard housing and gold meal plan will remain unchanged at $10,810 per year, according to the news release.

“Turning the tide is crucial to Illinois’ future, based on studies that show most college graduates stay in the state where they earned their degrees. And since the tuition freeze began, the U of I System has been helping lead the way,” University President Timothy Killeen said in a news release.

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