U of I Maintains Freeze on Tuition

The University of Illinois Board of Trustees voted Thursday to freeze tuition for in-state freshmen next fall for the fourth straight year, an effort to keep more talented students in Illinois for college.

The freeze for the U of I System's universities in Chicago, Springfield and Urbana-Champaign matches the longest consecutive freezes in more than four decades, since a four-year of flat rates from 1974 to 1977.

President Tim Killeen said holding the line on costs for Illinois undergraduates is critical to stem an exodus that has left Illinois second only to New Jersey in the net number of students lost to colleges in other states. In 2016, 46% of college-bound high school graduates in Illinois enrolled out of state, up from 29% in 2002.

For out-of-state and international freshmen, tuition will increase by 1.6% next fall in Urbana-Champaign. Rates for non-resident freshmen will remain unchanged in Springfield.