BOULDER – Tuition for new, part-time freshmen undergraduate students at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs will decline this fall as part of a tuition plan shared today (June 26) with members of the news media.
The CU Board of Regents is scheduled to vote on the tuition plan at a regularly scheduled meeting June 28 at the University of Colorado at Boulder.
The Regents will consider a UCCS plan that implements a per-credit-hour structure for incoming freshmen that ensures equity in costs students pay to attend the university. The structure will reduce tuition rates for part-time students while students who take more courses will pay for them at a flat rate per credit hour. A previous tuition structure allowed part-time students to pay for each credit hour while full-time students received some credits at no cost.
“We will put forth a plan that provides relief for students who are beginning their college careers and an overall tuition structure that provides both fairness and relatively low costs for all,” Chancellor Pam Shockley-Zalabak said. “This is an important component in ensuring access to the university by students from throughout southern Colorado.”
The UCCS plan calls for tuition for a full-time Colorado resident student to increase about $150 plus an additional $56.50 in fees per semester for Fall 2007. To assist students unable to afford the increase, UCCS has committed more than $350,000 in additional student financial aid and will guarantee that no student with financial need, will experience more than a 5 percent tuition increase.
Under the plan, continuing undergraduate resident students will see a 7 percent tuition rate increase from Fall 2006. This is $142 per semester for a full-time student enrolled in the College of Letters, Arts, and Sciences. Tuition rates and required fees differ by academic discipline and specific courses.
Other costs of attending UCCS will also remain low. For students who choose to live on campus, an $80 per semester increase is planned. Costs for room and board range from $3,449 to $4,373 per semester depending on the type of room selected.
Student fees will increase by $56.50 per semester, primarily the result of a new student-approved recreation center scheduled to open in August. The $12 million facility, which boasts a swimming pool, basketball courts and fitness rooms, is funded by student fees. UCCS students will be able to use the recreation center at no additional costs. Student fees support other campus needs including information technology, public safety, parking and transportation, student activities, theater program, and Family Development Center.
“The overall cost of attending UCCS remains below similar universities and illustrates the effectiveness and quality of the campus,” Shockley-Zalabak said. “Attending college remains the single best investment a man or woman can make in his or her future.”
UCCS, located on Austin Bluffs Parkway in northeast Colorado Springs, is the fastest growing university in Colorado and one of the fastest growing universities in the nation. The university offers 29 bachelor’s degrees, 18 master’s and four doctoral degrees. The campus enrolls about 7,600 students annually.