UMaine system hikes tuition for first time in six years
University of Maine System trustees have approved an average 2.5% increase in in-state tuition and room-and-board costs for the fiscal year beginning in July, the first such increase in six years.
The Portland Press Herald reported that the increase approved on Monday will hike the average cost for Maine students within the UMaine system for tuition, room and board from $17,065 to $17,486. The increases are part of a $529 million budget for the fiscal year beginning in July that was approved Monday by the trustees at their meeting in Presque Isle, the newspaper reported.
Tuition rates for out-of-state students will be set by each individual campus, with some, such as the University of Maine in Orono, offering incentives to increase out-of-state enrollments.
Chancellor James Page described the increase in tuition — and the increase in the state's appropriation — as a move away from past austerity during financial hard times. He said there is a need today to invest again in the system, noting that the budget is only now returning to pre-recession levels after almost 10 years of belt-tightening.
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