UConn is expected to vote on cutting its planned tuition increase for the next academic year Wednesday.
The Board of Trustees is scheduled to meet and vote on the the new rates at 9:45 a.m. this morning. If approved, the rates would go into effect this fall semester at the start of the 2021-22 academic year.
If the Board of Trustees approves the proposed change, the tuition adjustment would be cut in half to 2.2 percent, or $312 rather than the originally proposed $625, according to a statement on UConn’s website.
UConn said it is considering this because of the coronavirus pandemic-related financial constraints many students and their families are facing.
Get Connecticut local news, weather forecasts and entertainment stories to your inbox. Sign up for NBC Connecticut newsletters.
The statement on the website goes on to say that the proposal also keeps most fees flat, with “modest increases in only a few categories, including helping the University significantly expand access to mental health services by adding more counselors and mental health educators.”
Stories from LX News
LX, or Local X stands, for the exponential possibilities of storytelling in our communities.
The proposal also calls for fees for housing, dining, recreation, the General University Fee, infrastructure maintenance and technology to be frozen at their current level for the coming academic year.
UConn said there would be some increases in a few categories, including $28 per semester for Storrs-based students to help fund the expansion of UConn Student Health & Wellness mental health services.
COVID-19 Relief Funding
UConn said will receive about $32.2 million in total funding under the supplemental COVID relief act and $10.7 million of the funds would go to student financial aid as directed by the federal legislation.
The school plans to distribute the student aid in several phases, supporting students “who have exceptional or modest financial needs in addition to those who have a pandemic-related hardship.”
UConn will use information currently on file from FAFSA and other forms to identify students with qualifying financial need, and students who are experiencing pandemic-related hardships or otherwise have lower financial needs will be able to fill out an online form.
The school said federal legislation limits student awards to eligible U.S. citizens or permanent residents, but UConn plans to use institutional funds for eligible students who file the Undocumented Student Aid Application.
Phase 1:
Awards will range from $250 to $500 depending on need.
Other Phases:
Students who are facing significant financial constraints during the pandemic will be invited to submit an online request form for $250. The remaining federal aid after those distributions will then be set aside to determine how to help with ongoing needs later in the spring.
The rest of the federal money not set aside for student financial aid will go to defray expenses at UConn associated with the coronavirus, which the school said would include lost revenue, reimbursement for expenses already incurred, technology costs to transition to distance education and associated faculty and staff trainings.
For more information, including how UConn’s allocation from the second Federal Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund could affect you, click here.
