The University of Tennessee Board of Trustees approved an extension of the UTC regional tuition rate program for undergraduates and graduate students. The program is offered to students in seven counties in north Georgia and Alabama. Students pay in-state tuition plus 25 percent of out-of-state tuition. Visit UTC Admissions for more information.
Additionally, the UT Board of Trustees passed a revision of UTC freshman admission requirements as a follow-up to changes made two years ago to improve freshman retention. Requirements will change from 18 ACT and 2.8 GPA or 21 ACT and 2.3 GPA to 18 ACT and 2.8 GPA or 21 ACT and 2.5 GPA. The change will be in effect for fall 2014. UTC data shows students who have had at least a 2.5 GPA have a freshman retention rate of 91 percent compared to 70 percent for those who have had less than a 2.5 GPA.
The University of Tennessee Board of Trustees approved a $1.99 billion budget for fiscal year 2014 that reflects an 8.8 percent increase in state appropriations over a year ago. The UT Board also approved a six percent tuition increase.
For UT-Chattanooga, the tuition increase will include funding for new faculty hires, academic scholarships and faculty and staff salaries. The tuition increase revenue will also be used to offset operating cost increases from rising utilities, contractual service increases and inflationary costs for campus facilities and library acquisitions.
An in-state undergraduate student with at least 12 credit hours can expect to pay $343 a year more, for in-state undergraduates ($6,065 a year total) and $412 a year more for in-state graduate students ($7,272 a year total).
While state appropriations are rebounding from the economic downturn and are up $38 million from last year to $469.9 million, levels remain below FY08 and continue to account for a smaller portion of the budget than tuition revenues.
“As we end the fiscal year and start the new one, the theme that comes to mind is optimism,” UT System President Joe DiPietro told the trustees during his report. “We have a strong budget from the state, and most numbers are better than in most years although much of the increased state funding is earmarked for specific programs and not for general funds.”