At its regular meeting on Friday, the University of Colorado Board of Regents voted to approve tuition and fees for the 2019–20 academic year, which includes a zero percent tuition increase and slight reduction in mandatory fees for incoming Colorado resident freshman and transfer students on the CU Boulder campus. Students entering in the fall of 2019 will pay the same tuition as students who entered in the fall of 2018.
Total combined tuition and fees for incoming resident freshmen and transfer students in College of Arts and Sciences will be $12,500 and will be locked for four years. Incoming nonresident students will see a 3 percent tuition increase—with their tuition guaranteed to remain the same for four years. Nationally, college and university tuition increases average 5 percent per year.
“Our university has actively supported the governor’s budget recommendation to increase higher education funding and not increase tuition,” said Chancellor Philip DiStefano. “We appreciate the support from the governor, legislature and the CU Board of Regents in keeping affordability a priority for Colorado residents.”
Senior Vice Chancellor and Chief Financial Officer Kelly Fox said every year the university looks for opportunities to offer additional savings for Colorado students and families.
“CU Boulder wants Colorado’s students to earn their degrees and launch their careers here at home,” Fox said. “Colorado residents get to invest in a CU Boulder education knowing tuition rates will not increase for four years thanks to the undergraduate Colorado resident tuition guarantee.”
The zero percent tuition increase for the fall 2019 cohort of resident students builds on CU Boulder’s efforts over the past few years to steadily reduce students’ out-of-pocket cost of attendance in all income categories since 2014. Over that period, the Boulder campus has done the following:
- Brought forward the tuition guarantee in 2016 for undergraduate resident students to complement the nonresident guarantee that was previously available to ensure all undergraduate student tuition and fees are guaranteed to remain the same for four years after students are admitted to the university.
- Eliminated all course and program fees, which saved a total of more than $8.2 million per year in cost to students.
- Established automatic, four-year Esteemed Scholarships for all resident students who have good grades and test scores. In fall 2018 3,462 students received an Esteemed Scholar Scholarship, up from 794 in the fall of 2013. CU Boulder also offers automatic scholarship consideration for nonresident students through the Chancellor’s Achievement Scholarship.
- Continued support under the CU Promise program to lower-income students. Currently more than 1,500 students receive need-based grants to pay for their tuition and fees.
- We have seen an increase of 3,119 Colorado students receiving Merit & Need Aid from CU Boulder since 2014.
- Created support mechanisms and services for first-generation students who may be unfamiliar with navigating college.
- Expanded work with several school districts to have high school students—particularly first-generation—visit the campus and spend time understanding the benefits of a higher education and how to apply—whether at CU Boulder or elsewhere.
The Board of Regents sets the tuition pricing every spring. For more information about tuition and fees, see the Bursar’s Office Tuition Guarantee page.
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