Tuition, fees at UMass expected to increase by $288

By Peter Schworm, Globe Staff

By Peter Schworm, Globe Staff

The cost of attending the University of Massachusetts is expected to climb just over 3 percent for the next academic year, a modest increase that is well below typical tuition hikes at public colleges.

The UMass Board of Trustees' finance panel today approved a 3.1 percent increase in tuition and fees, lifting the average cost for students at the system's four undergraduate universities by $288.

Under the plan, which must be voted on by the full board of trustees March 19, tuition and fees for in-state undergraduates would rise from $9,261 to $9,549. If approved, the increase would trail the regional inflation rate for the fifth consecutive year.

"Our top priority is to keep academic excellence affordable for UMass students by containing costs," UMass President Jack M. Wilson said in a statement. "We are committed to making sure that UMass students continue to have access to world-class education."

Wilson said the system would spend 20 percent of the additional revenue on assistance for students with the most financial need. UMass has increased its financial aid budget by more than $50 million over the past five years to $85 million.

With room and board, the in-state cost of attending the university’s residential campuses in 2008-2009 would be: Amherst $18,346; Dartmouth $18,286, and Lowell $16,525.

Over the past five years, the cost of attending public universities nationally has risen an average of nearly 7 percent annually, while the cost of attending UMass has risen just 3.4 percent.

Nationally, the average in-state cost at four-year public institutions is $6,185, according to the College Board. The average cost of private colleges is $32,307.

The proposal calls for tuition and fees at UMass Medical School in Worcester to rise 1.1 percent, or $151 increase.