If this bill passes, Kentucky colleges must freeze tuition over 4 years for in-state students
A bill filed in the Kentucky House of Representatives would require public universities in the state to freeze tuition for four years with each incoming class.
HB452, the Kentucky Student Tuition Protection and Accountability Act filed by Rep. William Lawrence (R-Maysville), would require all public, four-year institutions funded by the state to set tuition and fees for each incoming class, and then freeze those rates for four years. The freeze would apply to in-state students who enroll at the institutions.
The bill was introduced in a House committee last week. Citing the rising rates of tuition, Lawrence said the bill is about affordability for Kentucky college students.
In Kentucky, the Council on Postsecondary Education sets tuition ceilings, capping how much institutions can increase tuition during an academic year. For the 2021-22 and 2022-23 academic years, tuition cannot increase by more than 3% over the two years, and no more than 2% in a single academic year.
“The rising rates of tuition set by an unelected board mostly appointed by the Governor has created an environment of financial uncertainty,” Lawrence said in a statement. “We cannot allow our public universities to cost the next generation of Kentuckians their futures.”
The House bill includes language that would prohibit CPE from raising tuition by more than 5% for in-state students and 7% for out-of-state students in an academic year.
According to CPE, the average annual change in undergraduate tuition at public Kentucky institutions was 0.7% for the 2021-22 academic year. It was 2% for the 2020-21 academic year.
The bill also would require institutions to set their mandatory student fees by March 1 of the preceding school year, and would add student and faculty members to the boards of trustees at several universities.
“Investing in education is one of the most impactful decisions we can make for the future success of our children,” Lawrence said. “HB452 will ensure Kentucky families will have the ability to better budget for their children’s education, and it fosters the security our students need to fully focus on building a better future.”