University trustees approved a 1.7 percent tuition increase for incoming freshmen that matches last year's increase - both the smallest since 1994.
Tuition for the 2014-15 academic year for in-state freshmen increases to $12,036 per year at Urbana, $10,584 at UIC and $9,405 at UIS.
"We are following the board of trustees policy and proposing a tuition increase that is in line with increases of cost of living and inflation," Christophe Pierre, the vice president for academic affairs, told trustees Jan. 23 at their meeting at UIC.
Under the state's guaranteed tuition law, passed in 2004, tuition rates are fixed for four years.
"The University of Illinois was founded to provide an affordable, high-quality education for the children of all classes, and we will do everything we can to fulfill that critical mission through our ongoing efforts to control costs and increase private giving," said U. of I. President Bob Easter.
Student fees and housing rates also will increase in fall 2014. At Urbana, fees will increase $68 per year (2.3 percent). At UIC, student fees will rise $52 (1.7 percent) to $3,062 per year and students at UIS will pay an additional $78 per year in fees (4.1 percent).
Student fees provide funding for campus recreational facilities, student centers, career services, athletics, counseling centers and libraries. They also help pay for facility maintenance, renovations and utilities.
Undergraduate housing costs at Urbana will increase $201 (2 percent) to $10,180 per year, based on the standard two-student room and 14-meal-per-week plan. Housing rates will rise $257 at UIC and $300 at UIS.
Other business
- Trustees re-elected Christopher Kennedy as chair during the annual election of officers. He has been chair since his appointment to the board in 2009.
"All of us who are associated with the university feel lucky to be part of the greatest institution of its kind," Kennedy said.
Trustees Edward McMillan and Pamela Strobel were re-elected to serve with Kennedy on the board's executive committee.
The board also re-elected Thomas Bearrows, university legal counsel; Susan Kies, secretary; and Walter Knorr, comptroller.
- The board approved a three-year contract extension for Mike Thomas, the director of athletics, through 2019.
"In his tenure at Illinois, Mike Thomas has kept his focus squarely on the 'student' when it comes to our student-athletes," Chancellor Phyllis M. Wise said. "He has developed a leadership team of coaches, administrators and advancement officers who are dedicated to building a sustainable and nationally recognized program that ensures our student-athletes' success on the playing field and in the classroom. He understands that the Illinois experience for these students is one that isn't measured in years of eligibility but in preparing them for lives of impact."