2008 Woodie Awards
Tuition still lower than regional average
Bridgette Blight
Issue date: 11/1/07 Section: News
- Page 1 of 1
11/01/07 - Despite higher tuition at the University of Rhode Island than the national average, the budget director said the rates are still in line with the rest of New England.
According to a College Board trends report, tuition and fees across the United States are increasing faster than the rate of inflation. The national average of in-state tuition and fees at public four-year institutions for the 2007-08 school year is $6,185. URI is more than $1,000 higher than this average, charging $7,724 for 2007-08.
URI Director of Budget and Financial Planning Linda Barrett said that comparing the cost of tuition and fees at URI to a nationwide average is unfair because the cost of living in New England is higher than other regions.
The College Board also averaged tuition and fees for schools by region. Tuition and fees at four-year public institutions in New England average $8,076 for the 2007-08 school year, while tuition and fees at URI were $352 lower.
The study found the average tuition increase among four-year public institutions was 6.6 percent for in-state students and 5.5 percent for out-of-state students from 2006-07 to 2007-08. The increase at URI was 6 percent for in-state students and 7.5 percent for out-of-state students.
A report by the URI Department of Budget and Financial Planning compared the university's tuition and fees to that of similar universities and colleges in the region, such as Rutgers University, the University of Delaware, the University of Massachusetts, the University of Connecticut and the University of Virginia. Of these URI has the lowest tuition and fees for in-state students.
However, the tuition and fees for out-of-state students at URI ranks in the middle.
"Out-of-state students are a different clientele," Barrett said. "They are usually choosing between private and public universities. They are already expecting to pay a certain amount [for tuition]."
Tuition and fees at URI have increased by an average of 7.1 percent from the fiscal year 2005 to 2008. Although this percent change is higher than every New England state university except for the University of Maine, tuition and fees for 2007-08 are the lowest of the group.
"Students have to pay tuition, not the percent change," Barrett said.
She added that the decrease in state funding of URI is "definitely connected" to the tuition increase. With a deficit of approximately $200 million for fiscal year 2008, the state is unlikely to increase its contribution to the university's budget, which is currently at 14 percent.
The budget office is trying to reduce the impact that university budget issues have on students by placing a cap on the tuition increase for in-state students.
"[The department is] trying to hold the line at 6 percent being the maximum increase," she said.
While the cost of attendance at URI is close to the New England average, other New England states have a higher median income, according to the Rhode Island Board of Governors for Higher Education.
The National Report Card on Higher Education stated that in 2006, the average family in Rhode Island needed to pay 39 percent of their income for their child to attend a public four-year school.
URI Tuition Compared with Northeast Public Schools
State Residents
University of Vermont: $12,054
University of New Hampshire: $10,980
Rutgers University - Camden: $10,614
University of Mass. - Amherst: $9,921
University of Virginia: $8,500
University of Connecticut-Storrs: $8,842
University of Maine - Orono: $8,330
University of Delaware: $8,200
University of Rhode Island: $8,184
Non-Residents
University of Vermont: $27,938
University of Virginia: $27,515
University of New Hampshire: $24,030
University of Rhode Island: $23,038
University of Connecticut-Storrs: $22,786
University of Maine - Orono: $20,540
University of Mass. - Amherst: $20,499
Rutgers University - Camden: $19,783
University of Delaware: $19,605
Source: URI Budget Office
According to a College Board trends report, tuition and fees across the United States are increasing faster than the rate of inflation. The national average of in-state tuition and fees at public four-year institutions for the 2007-08 school year is $6,185. URI is more than $1,000 higher than this average, charging $7,724 for 2007-08.
URI Director of Budget and Financial Planning Linda Barrett said that comparing the cost of tuition and fees at URI to a nationwide average is unfair because the cost of living in New England is higher than other regions.
The College Board also averaged tuition and fees for schools by region. Tuition and fees at four-year public institutions in New England average $8,076 for the 2007-08 school year, while tuition and fees at URI were $352 lower.
The study found the average tuition increase among four-year public institutions was 6.6 percent for in-state students and 5.5 percent for out-of-state students from 2006-07 to 2007-08. The increase at URI was 6 percent for in-state students and 7.5 percent for out-of-state students.
A report by the URI Department of Budget and Financial Planning compared the university's tuition and fees to that of similar universities and colleges in the region, such as Rutgers University, the University of Delaware, the University of Massachusetts, the University of Connecticut and the University of Virginia. Of these URI has the lowest tuition and fees for in-state students.
However, the tuition and fees for out-of-state students at URI ranks in the middle.
"Out-of-state students are a different clientele," Barrett said. "They are usually choosing between private and public universities. They are already expecting to pay a certain amount [for tuition]."
Tuition and fees at URI have increased by an average of 7.1 percent from the fiscal year 2005 to 2008. Although this percent change is higher than every New England state university except for the University of Maine, tuition and fees for 2007-08 are the lowest of the group.
"Students have to pay tuition, not the percent change," Barrett said.
She added that the decrease in state funding of URI is "definitely connected" to the tuition increase. With a deficit of approximately $200 million for fiscal year 2008, the state is unlikely to increase its contribution to the university's budget, which is currently at 14 percent.
The budget office is trying to reduce the impact that university budget issues have on students by placing a cap on the tuition increase for in-state students.
"[The department is] trying to hold the line at 6 percent being the maximum increase," she said.
While the cost of attendance at URI is close to the New England average, other New England states have a higher median income, according to the Rhode Island Board of Governors for Higher Education.
The National Report Card on Higher Education stated that in 2006, the average family in Rhode Island needed to pay 39 percent of their income for their child to attend a public four-year school.
URI Tuition Compared with Northeast Public Schools
State Residents
University of Vermont: $12,054
University of New Hampshire: $10,980
Rutgers University - Camden: $10,614
University of Mass. - Amherst: $9,921
University of Virginia: $8,500
University of Connecticut-Storrs: $8,842
University of Maine - Orono: $8,330
University of Delaware: $8,200
University of Rhode Island: $8,184
Non-Residents
University of Vermont: $27,938
University of Virginia: $27,515
University of New Hampshire: $24,030
University of Rhode Island: $23,038
University of Connecticut-Storrs: $22,786
University of Maine - Orono: $20,540
University of Mass. - Amherst: $20,499
Rutgers University - Camden: $19,783
University of Delaware: $19,605
Source: URI Budget Office