MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — The Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) Board of Trustees will consider a proposal to increase undergraduate in-state tuition and mandatory fees at its June 11 meeting. This proposed change would affect the 2024-2025 academic year.
Currently, tuition for a 15-hour semester costs $3,954. The proposed increase would raise this to $4,166, representing a $213 difference. Mandatory fees, which are presently $985, would increase by $46, bringing the total to $1,031. If approved, this proposal is expected to generate an additional $9.1 million in revenue, reflecting a 5.24% increase.
The Tuition Transparency and Accountability Act (Tennessee Code Annotated § 49-7-1603) requires public university boards to notify the public of any proposed increases to tuition and mandatory fees at least 15 days before a public meeting to adopt the changes. This period allows for public comments, which will be accepted from Wednesday, May 22, to Thursday, June 6, at 4:30 p.m. CDT.
The proposed tuition increase aims to fund various initiatives, including enhanced scholarship programs for incoming and continuing students, federally mandated salary adjustments for employees, faculty promotions, new high-demand academic programs, and inflationary increases in software maintenance, technology infrastructure, and utility costs.
Specific fee increases will also support auxiliary services at MTSU:
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Parking Services: A $1 increase will help cover costs related to shuttle services, maintenance, campus lighting, and sidewalk projects.
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Student Health Services: A $3 increase will address salary and benefit increases, as well as inflationary costs for software support and medical supplies.
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Student Recreation Center: A $2 increase will cover salary and benefit increases and inflationary costs for recreational programs and services.
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Technology Access Fee (TAF): A $5 increase will help address the $6 million annual proposals for classroom and lab technology.
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Athletics Fee: A $35 increase is needed for salary and benefit increases, inflationary operational costs, changes in NCAA regulations, and decreased game guarantee amounts.
The Board of Trustees approved factors for consideration when proposing tuition and fee increases on December 11, 2018. These factors include the Tennessee Higher Education Commission (THEC) binding tuition and mandatory fee increase ranges, level of state support, total cost of attendance, efforts to mitigate financial effects on students, and other relevant factors such as enrollment goals and new program costs.
The 113th General Assembly passed the 2024-25 General Appropriations Act, granting MTSU an increase of $2.4 million for outcomes productivity and $3.8 million to partially fund a three percent salary pool. THEC's binding tuition and mandatory fee increase for fiscal year 2024-25 is set between 0% and 5.5%, as approved at the May 16, 2024, Commission meeting.
MTSU has maintained modest tuition increases in recent years to keep higher education attainable and minimize student debt. Among Tennessee’s three largest public universities, MTSU offers the lowest tuition rates. The average financial aid award for undergraduate students is $10,973, with 67% of students receiving some form of financial aid.
