Board of Trustees
Notice of 2026-27 Undergraduate Tuition and Fee Increase Proposal
The Board of Trustees will consider a proposal to increase in-state tuition and mandatory fees at the June 16, 2026 meeting.
Tennessee law (Tennessee Code Annotated 搂 49-7-1603) requires boards of public universities to give public notice of proposed increases to tuition and mandatory fees charged to in-state undergraduate students at least fifteen (15) days prior to holding a public meeting to adopt the increases. Individuals are permitted to provide comments during the fifteen-day period.
The public comment period will end June 11 at 4:30 p.m. CDT.
| 2025-26 Tuition & Fees | Proposed 2026-27 Tuition & Fees | Change | 础苍苍耻补濒听搁别惫别苍耻别 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Undergraduate In-State Tuition per semester based on 15 hours | $4,407 | $4,596 | $189 | 4.29% | $5,568,770 |
| Mandatory Fees | $1,128.50 | $1,188 | $59.50 | 5.27% | $2,082,500 |
| Total Projected Revenue Growth | 4.49% | $7,651,270 | |||
Explanation for the Proposed Tuition and Mandatory Fee Increase
Tuition, along with state appropriations, supports approximately 93% of the education and general (E&G) operations of the University. The 4.29% increase proposed in tuition will help fund enhanced scholarships, new or expanded academic programs, salary adjustments, and inflationary costs associated with utility costs, software maintenance, and campus technology infrastructure.
Mandatory fees support a variety of student services, as well as other operational and auxiliary functions provided by the university. The proposed increases are to support Parking Services, Student Health Services, Technology Access, Student Recreation, Student Government Association, and Athletics.
Purposes for Which Revenue Derived from the Tuition and Mandatory Fee Increase Will be Used
The proposed tuition increase will fund:
- scholarship programs for incoming and continuing students
- promotions for faculty that advance from assistant up to full professor
- new academic programs in high demand in the job market
- inflationary increases in items such as classroom and administrative software maintenance agreements, technology infrastructure, and utility costs
Parking Services is an auxiliary enterprise and is totally dependent on the Parking Fee for its shuttle services for students, utilities and maintenance cost of the Parking office and shuttle buses, and various parking lots, campus lighting, and sidewalk maintenance projects. The $2 increase will assist in covering these increased costs, as well as the new parking garage.
Student Health Services is an auxiliary enterprise and is totally dependent on the Student Health Services fee for its services to students, operations, and its portion of the shared capital cost for the 202,000 square foot building it shares with the Student Recreation Center. The $6 increase is needed for inflationary and operational costs, such as software support and medical supplies.
The Student Recreation Center is an auxiliary enterprise and is totally dependent on the Recreation Center fee for its services to students, operations, and its portion of the shared capital cost of the 202,000 square foot building. The $10 increase is needed to pay for inflationary costs of recreational programs and services, as well as programming provided to the student body.
The technology access fee (TAF) is a per semester fee required by each student to help offset a portion of the technology related cost on campus. The fee itself covers about $4 million in classroom technology related expenses annually. The revenue is used to supplement infrastructure costs and equipment in the classroom, computer lab equipment, break/fix expenses, lab related software, etc. Proposals submitted each year by deans, department chairs, faculty, and IT鈥檚 classroom design and support team are currently approaching $6 million annually. The $12.50 in additional fees will become part of this, with a focus on AI.
The athletics fee supports athletics, which operates much like an auxiliary unit and must have a balanced budget annually. The $19 increase is needed for inflationary costs for operations and travel, various changes in NCAA regulations, decreased game guarantee amounts with the new athletic landscape, and other operational and capital needs.
The Student Government Association fee supports the activities of the University鈥檚 Student Government Association. This $10 fee increase will seek to attract and increase student involvement through enhancing and increasing programming and event opportunities, including offerings for student organizations concerts, and additional events.
Efforts to Mitigate the Effect of the Tuition and Mandatory Fee Increase on Students
On December 11, 2018, the Board of Trustees approved the following factors for consideration when increases in tuition and mandatory fees are proposed:
- Tennessee Higher Education Commission (THEC) binding tuition and mandatory fee increase ranges;
- Level of state support;
- Total cost of attendance (which includes tuition cost, mandatory fees, room and board, books, and other educational expenses);
- Efforts to mitigate the financial effect on students; and
- Other factors deemed appropriate by the University such as enrollment goals, market factors, new facility costs, new program costs, and costs related to general campus operations.
The 114th General Assembly passed the 2026-27 General Appropriations Act, resulting in MTSU receiving a net reduction of $1,303,500 in state appropriations between the outcomes-based funding formula and salary pool.
The THEC binding tuition and mandatory fee increase for fiscal year 2026-27 is 0% – 4.5% as approved at the May 15, 2026 Commission meeting.
Among the three largest public state universities, MTSU has the lowest tuition rates, and 70% of students receive some level of financial aid. The University is also preparing for a $2.5 million budget reduction as part of its broader efforts to limit the need for tuition and mandatory fee increases.