The Board of Visitors has voted to increase tuition at the College 9.7 percent for the 2008-2009 school year to $6,090 for in-state students.
Accounting for fees, room and board, in-state students will pay $18,276 next year, a total increase of 7.6 percent. Out-of-state students’ costs increased 8 percent to $37,356, slightly more than twice the cost for in-state students.
Other public universities in the state have increased tuition as well; the University of Virginia increased in-state tuition 9.4 percent and out-of-state tuition 6.7 percent, and Virginia Tech increased in-state tuition 10.8 percent and out-of-state tuition 5.3 percent.
“Our priorities were to improve salaries, increase need-based aid for our undergraduates and find enough funds to heat and cool our new buildings,” Interim College President Taylor Reveley said. “We’ll devote more than 85 percent of new dollars to these areas, including committing $1 million toward additional student financial aid and supplementing the state salary increases a bit to help recruit and retain professors of the academic excellence so crucial to the College’s future.”
Vice President for Finance Sam Jones said the increase will help fund a 3 percent raise for faculty and staff, keeping the College’s salaries level for the next year.
“In terms of faculty salaries at our peer institutions, we’re not making up any ground, but this budget allows us to at least maintain our current status,” Jones said.
The increase also included an annual $30 “Green Fee,” which received vast support from the student body. The Green Fee will allot more than $200,000 annually for environmental sustainability initiatives.
Tuition to the College’s graduate programs in Arts $ Sciences, Education, Law, Business and Marine Sciences also increased.