Rutgers to raise tuition as part of $5.1B budget

Rutgers students, in New Jersey, will see a 2.9% increase in tuition and fees after the university’s Board of Governors approved a $5.1 billion budget for the 2022-23 academic year.

According to the school, tuition and fees account for more than 28% of university revenues, and help fund academic programs and university services, including academic advising, library services, computing services, student health services, counseling and financial aid.

For in-state, full-time arts and sciences undergraduates at Rutgers University-New Brunswick, tuition and fees for the upcoming academic year will be $16,263 before any financial aid is applied.

At Rutgers University-Newark, tuition and fees for a typical full-time arts and sciences undergraduate will be $15,648, and, at Rutgers University-Camden, a typical arts and sciences undergraduate’s tuition and fees will be $16,112 before financial aid.

Rutgers officials at the Board of Governor’s meeting on Tuesday, June 21, said that rising inflation, as well as stagnant contributions from the state have impacted the university. They pointed out that the 2.9% raise in tuition and fees is less than half the current rate of inflation. Three students used the public comment period of the meeting held to criticize the university for raising tuition.

One student rhetorically asked if the university’s budget was sustainable given the current structure. Rutgers President Jonathan Holloway later responded that he agreed with the student that it’s not sustainable, but the school will lobby Gov. Phil Murphy’s office and the state legislature to “help them understand the vital role that Rutgers education plays in the state economy.”

According to Rutgers, classroom instruction and academic support costs that include faculty compensation and staff support for academic units, libraries and deans’ offices account for 32.3% of the budget, or $1.6 billion. Students services and scholarships make up about 12% of the budget.