University of Nebraska freezing tuition for all students under proposed budget

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) – The University of Nebraska System has proposed to freeze tuition for all students in its 2022-23 budget.

NU President Ted Carter said this year’s budget completes a three-year, system-wide plan to manage the fiscal challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The budget also takes into account the high rates of inflation that many students and families are facing.

“As any Nebraska family or business knows, every dollar matters,” Carter said in a press release.  “Families are facing hard decisions these days, and we want them to know that we are doing everything possible to make sure a University of Nebraska education remains in reach for every student.”

To help alleviate the costs of freezing student tuition, NU’s proposed budget will cut spending across all boards.

“Access to higher education matters now more than ever,” Carter said.  “If we’re going to produce the workforce Nebraska needs and grow our economy for the future, we need to make certain no student is denied the opportunity to pursue a college degree.”

The proposed budget will limit year-over-year growth to 1.3 percent, which is under current rates of inflation, the university says.

Carter called for back-to-back tuition freezes in 2020, shortly after the pandemic began.

The university also planned significant spending reductions across the system and targeted investments in strategic priorities like financial aid, faculty competitiveness and building maintenance.

“With this budget, we’re doing what we said we would do,” Carter said. “The chancellors and I knew we couldn’t take the approach of simply ‘waiting out’ the pandemic. The needs of our students, our state and our workforce are too important to hunker down.”

The proposed budget will be voted on by the Board of Regents at its June 23 meeting.