South Dakota public university tuition will increase after remaining flat for the last three years.
The Board of Regents, which oversees the university system, approved a system-wide average2.9% undergraduate tuition increaseduring its Thursday meeting at Northern State University in Aberdeen. Tuition will rise by roughly that amount at five of the states universities, while South Dakota Mines in Rapid City willincrease its tuitionby 4.5% to align the institution with peer universities, the Regents said in a news release, and to help support the universitys special focus on engineering, science and technology.
The board also approved a $1 per credit hour increase in the mandatory general activity fee, which supports student activities and campus amenities, along with increases tohousing and meal plan ratesand otherspecializedor campus-specific fee increases.
The total annual undergraduate cost for South Dakota students willincrease by $520.15next year to an average of $18,939.92, according to the board.
Inflation and legislative decisions in a tight budget year contributed to the increase, and tough budget years will continue, said Board of Regents Executive Director Nathan Lukkes.
We certainly dont want to get into a place where were going too cheap, if you will, Lukkes said, and start to sacrifice quality for our students.
Conservative increase helps cover minimum cost increases
Competition with regional institutions largely drove tuition freezes approved by the Regents and funded by the Legislature in the last three years. South Dakota had the lowest tuition and fees for an undergraduate resident and non-resident degreecompared to surrounding statesin the last two school years.
Regents last approved a tuition increase of 1.1% in fiscal year 2021.
While the Legislature provided funding for tuition freezes prior to this year, that funding did not support a fee freeze, which the system chose to do anyway. The Legislatures annual mandated increases in employee salaries did not come with extra funding either, said Heather Forney, vice president of finance and administration for the system. Universities absorbed the costs.
In an era where our neighboring states are increasing tuition by double digits, weve really held the line, Forney said.
The increases will help address astronomical inflation and insurance costs universities ate during the tuition freeze era, Forney added. For example, some building insurance costs rose 450% in the last five years.
The system couldnt avoid increasing fees and tuition forever, said board member Pam Roberts. She called the proposal a conservative increase.
Board President Tim Rave agreed.
I think the 2.9% really reflects, maybe in some aspects, the minimum, Rave said. Its really not covering all the costs that the universities are exposed to.
Softened legislative cuts remain an ongoing concern
The Legislatures recent $2 million cutto the regental budget will lead to tough financial decisions for universities, according to a South Dakota Board of Regents press release Thursday.
After many years of strong legislative support, these reductions may threaten key programs, support services, and physical infrastructure, the release said, potentially impacting the states long-term workforce development and economic growth.
Lawmakers alsoupheld a price increasefor South Dakota high school students taking dual-credit college classes, but defeated a proposed funding reduction for the statesmedical residency program. Legislators used one-time funding to avoid a proposed $9.1 million building maintenance and repair cut. That will kick the can down the road, Lukkes told board members.
That certainly remains an ongoing concern, Lukkes said, in terms of how we make sure that we have access to the resources necessary to maintain our facilities and provide a top quality experience to our students without simply passing the cost along to students.
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