Tuition and Fee Rates for FY2010 Approved by UHS Regents

Financial Waiver Ceiling for Students from Low-Income Families Raised to $40,000

The University of Houston System Board of Regents voted to approve tuition and fee rates for fiscal year 2010 in a special meeting held Tuesday at UH.

There will be a system-wide increase of 3.98 percent - the lowest percentage increase in nearly a decade.

And the qualifying ceiling for the UH "Cougar Promise" program - which covers all tuition and fee costs beyond financial aid for incoming in-state freshmen from low-income families - was raised to $40,000 (from $30,000).

"We recognize that these are economically demanding times for everyone, including our students and their families," said Board Chairman Welcome W. Wilson Sr. "So, with our four universities cutting expenses and reallocating funds to high-priority areas, we have been able to keep costs as reasonable as possible without compromising the quality of the excellent education provided at our institutions."

The new rates for FY2010 go into effect for the Fall 2009 semester.

  • At the University of Houston, where tuition and fee rates were raised 3.95 percent, an in-state undergraduate student taking 12 credit hours will pay approximately $131 more per semester.
  • At UH-Clear Lake, which saw a 3.30 percent rise, a comparable student will pay $80 more.
  • At UH-Downtown, rates were increased 4.8 percent, costing $101 more.
  • At UH-Victoria, the increase was 3.4 percent, costing $72 more.

The UH System tuition and fee recommendations considered by the regents were developed at each of the four UHS universities based on requests from academic and administrative divisions as well as discussions and public forums involving student, faculty and staff members. Recommendations received final approval by each university's president.

Tuition and fees provide approximately 38 percent of the UH System's annual operating budget. Funding from the state of Texas currently accounts for 34 percent (down from 43 percent in 1999 and 58 percent in 1989).

The new tuition and fee rates are expected to generate nearly $13 million in additional revenue for the UH System. Approximately $6 million in extra financial aid will be offered.

UH officials estimated that the expanded Cougar Promise program could double the number of students who would be eligible. The program calls for UH to cover all tuition and fee costs beyond what a student receives in financial aid (provided the student is eligible for federal aid). Students who qualify can continue their Cougar Promise status for up to four years.

The Cougar Promise policy joins other cost-cutting measures at UH such as "The Jump," which allows incoming freshmen to take core classes during the summer at a reduced cost; the "Graduation Pledge," which offers up to $3,000 in grants for eligible students making steady progress toward earning their degrees; Saturday classes and some night classes offered at a discount; and reduced rates on selected classes for education majors.

For additional information about these and other financial incentives at UH, please see
http://www.uh.edu/financial/undergraduate/types-aid/incentives/.

The UH System rate increase follows similar actions by three other Texas state universities (based on a 12-hour semester). The University of Texas-Austin recently approved a 4.95 percent rise, increasing an undergraduate student's costs by $202. Texas A&M-College Station approved a 4.14 percent increase (a $166 addition). The University of North Texas-Denton approved a 7 percent increase ($226).

For more information about the UH System Board of Regents see:
http://www.uhsa.uh.edu/regents/.

ABOUT THE UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON SYSTEM
The University of Houston System is the state's only metropolitan higher education system, encompassing four universities and two multi-institution teaching centers. The universities are the University of Houston, a nationally recognized doctoral degree-granting, comprehensive research university; the University of Houston-Downtown, a four-year undergraduate university beginning limited expansion into graduate programs; and the University of Houston-Clear Lake and the University of Houston-Victoria, both upper division and master's-level institutions. The centers are the UH System at Sugar Land in Fort Bend and the UH System at Cinco Ranch. In addition, the UH System includes KUHF-FM, Houston's National Public Radio and classical radio station, and KUHT-TV, the nation's first educational television station.