The Illinois Board of Trustees unanimously approved on Thursday to increase tuition for in-state students attending any of the three University of Illinois schools.

Incoming students will see a 1.8% increase if they choose to attend either the Urbana-Champaign or Chicago campus, while students attending the Springfield campus will see a 1% increase. 

The tuition increase will not affect current students, as the Illinois Truth in Tuition law ensures the price students pay in their first year of attendance is what they will pay for their four years in college. 

This is the first time since 2014 that President Tim Killeen will not recommend a tuition freeze after initially doing so to attract more Illinoisans, ending the longest freeze in UI System history. 

On top of this, the Illinois Board of Trustees unanimously voted to extend Killeen’s contract for four years, raising his base pay from $600,000 to $835,000, according to the language in his new contract. 

Killeen has earned a $100,000 performance bonus each year since his tenure began in 2015, bringing his pay to $700,000. With his new contract, the bonuses will now be included in his base salary instead of being paid separately. 

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