NH public universities, including KSC, freeze in-state tuition for 5th straight year
Dec. 1—For the fifth straight year, undergraduate tuition will remain the same for New Hampshire residents at each of the state's four public colleges and universities, the schools announced this week.
The tuition freeze for the 2023-24 academic year applies to in-state students at Keene State College, the University of New Hampshire, Plymouth State University and Granite State College, according to a news release Tuesday from the University System of New Hampshire.
The 28-member USNH Board of Trustees, which oversees the public university system, voted in late October to freeze tuition again, USNH Communications Lisa Thorne said Thursday. A current junior or senior on track to graduate in four years will have paid the same tuition each year since entering college, according to the release.
Annual tuition at Keene State College is $11,754 for New Hampshire residents and $22,663 for students coming from out of state, according to the college website. The total cost of attendance with fees, room and board is $28,162 for in-state students and $39,071 for out-of-state undergraduates.
The USNH board also voted recently to "not allow fees or room and board to increase by more than 2.5%" next year, Thorne said in an email to The Sentinel.
"During this challenging time of high inflation, the University System recognizes the significant financial investment necessary to earn a bachelor's degree," Cathy Provencher, USNH chief administrative officer said in the news release. "We are meeting the challenge to support our New Hampshire students by providing increased financial aid and by holding tuition steady."
In a separate news release Thursday from Keene State College, Mary Beth (MB) Lufkin, vice president of Enrollment and Student Enrollment and Engagement, said the college applauds the continued tuition freeze.
"We support this decision and know that it will come as welcome news to a lot of families and students a time when economic strains continue to weigh on households," Lufkin said in the news release. "More than anything, making sure we are doing all we can to help student pursue degrees is paramount, and an important workforce advantage for our region and our state."
More than 90 percent of Keene State students receive financial aid, according to the college website. The college's news release says 95 percent of first-year students attending a USNH institution receive some form of financial aid.
The University of New Hampshire, Keene State and Plymouth State continue to offer their financial aid program, Granite Guarantee. The program, intended to make college more attainable, covers the full cost of in-state tuition for all eligible undergraduates.
To qualify, students must be New Hampshire residents, attending college for the first time for a bachelor's degree and eligible for a federal Pell Grant, according to the USNH website. To be eligible for a Pell Grant, students must display exceptional financial need, according to the federal student aid website.
Jamie Browder can be reached at 352-1234 ext. 1427 or jbrowder@keenesentinel.com
