The Montana Board of Regents has approved tuition hikes across the state university system over the next two years.
The Missoulian reported that in-state undergraduate tuition will remain the same for another year, increasing by 3 percent in 2023.
This will raise tuition in that year to $5,824 at Montana State University (MSU), $5,515 at the University of Montana (UM), $5,878 at Montana Technological University, and $4,620 at MSU-Billings.
Non-Resident and Graduate Students
Out-of-state and graduate students will be subject to slightly higher tuition increases.
Non-resident undergraduate students attending UM and MSU will see a 4 percent increase in 2022, bringing the cost of attendance per semester for both institutions at $26,112 and $26,087 respectively.
Meanwhile, resident graduate students enrolled in Missoula will see a 4.6 percent increase in 2022. For those living outside Montana, MSU plans to adopt a 4 percent increase in tuition while both UM and MSU-Billings will charge 5 percent more.
Regent Opposition
Regent Todd Buchanan was the only member of the board that voted against the various tuition hikes. He initially proposed an amendment that would eliminate the 3 percent increase for resident undergraduate students. However, the other regents were not on board with the idea.
“I really believe that our responsibility is to serve the resident students. I truly also believe that non-resident students subsidize the quality of the education on campuses and they’re a market of learners that we treat much differently than our resident students,” Buchanan said.
