The rising cost of living for students was cited as a reason for a Tennessee commission to freeze tuition at state public colleges for the 2022-2023 academic year.
All public colleges and universities in the state of Tennessee will have their tuition frozen for the 2022-2023 academic year after a decision by the Higher Education Commission on May 19.
According to Commission Chairman Evan Cope, students are already struggling financially from rising costs of living, such as petrol, housing, food, and consumables, and the tuition freeze will be a “source of relief” for their pockets.
Tuition for Tennessee’s public colleges and universities was frozen because of a “historic” commitment the state made in its financing system for these institutions.
As stated in a statement from the commission, public colleges and universities in the state are bound by the commission’s “binding ranges” of tuition and fees for the next academic year.
Tuition and fee ranges are determined based on criteria including inflation, students’ enrollment trends and families’ capacity to pay for their children to attend college. The tuition rate for the current academic year is “zero to zero percent”.
Executive director of the Tennessee Higher Education Commission, Emily House, hailed the decision a “huge win” for students and families in the state.