COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — The University of Colorado Colorado Springs (UCCS) said it will need to raise tuition in the fall to help offset a $4 million budget deficit.
"We have to balance our budget every year," UCCS Spokesperson Chris Valentine said.
The school plans to raise tuition by 3% for in-state students and 4% for out-of-state students in the fall.
"With the rising cost of everything, we've all seen the rising costs, we have to balance our budget too. So, the 3% helps a little bit in helping us pay those bills, keep our great faculty, provide research opportunities for our students, and help them get the degrees they need," Valentine said.
This comes at a time when the Colorado state legislature is working on providing more funding for the University of Colorado System, with additional funding specifically geared toward expanding cybersecurity education at UCCS.
UCCS also plans to offer early retirement for faculty and is asking several departments to make budget cuts to balance the budget.
Here's a look at how that tuition price has grown at UCCS:
If an in-state student started school at UCCS in 2021, they paid $11,900 in base tuition for 30 credit hours over one academic year.
If an in-state student starts school at UCCS in 2024, they will pay $13,900.50 in base tuition for 30 credit hours over one academic year.
That's a 16% increase. Tuition costs at 4-year public universities across the nation have been on the rise since 2010, according to the Education Data Initiative.
"The cost of living, everything's going up in price. The cost of school was going to go up eventually," UCCS freshman Marenko Wiliams said.
"Like I said, inflation is going to be what it's going to be. Whether it's at school or out in the world," UCCS junior Jarrid McKissick said.
"I am planning on working later this year, in a couple of weeks actually. But I wasn't really looking to get any jobs, I was relying on the scholarship to get me through the year. But, now that the money is looking slim, it's time to start looking for jobs," UCCS sophomore Jayden Washington said.