KNOXVILLE (WATE/AP) - The University of Tennessee's Board of Trustees on Thursday approved a tuition increase of 8% at its Knoxville campus and hikes at its other campuses as well.
The university system has an enrollment of about 50,000 students at campuses in Knoxville, Chattanooga and Martin; the Health Science Center in Memphis; state Institutes of Agriculture and Public Service; and the Space Institute in Tullahoma.
The hikes for the entire UT system are:
- UT Chattanooga – 6 percent increase
- UT Knoxville – 8 percent increase or $578 a year more for in-state undergraduates ($7,802 a year total) and $668 a year more for in-state graduate students ($9,000 a year total)
- UT Martin – 6 percent increase
- UT Health Science Center – 4 percent increase
- UT Veterinary Medicine – 10 percent increase
Earlier in June, the Tennessee Board of Regents recommended a tuition increase of as much as 7.2% for one of its universities.
Also on Thursday, the trustees approved a proposal for future full time UT-K students to pay for an additional three hours each semester. "Take 15, graduate in 4" will begin with the freshman class of 2013. Current students will not be affected by the change.
The trustees gave their approval to a five-year strategic plan called "Defining the Future." Officials say it creates a roadmap through 2017 to help the UT System Administration achieve goals driven by state and national agendas.
The five main goals are:
- Enhancing educational excellence
- Expanding research capacities
- Fostering outreach and engagement
- Ensuring effectiveness and efficiency
- Advocating for the University of Tennessee
Gov. Bill Haslam proposed a summit meeting between the UT Board of Trustees and the Board of Regents in July to continue the discussion on how the state can move forward and improve education.
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