5 Alabama Colleges Will Not Raise Tuition This Year

JACKSONVILLE, AL - With college tuition raising yearly and student loan debt becoming a real factor in the economy, some Alabama colleges have decided not to raise tuition for the coming school year. Jacksonville State University just became the fifth Alabama school to keep tuition costs the same, making the announcement this week.

In April, the University of Alabama, the University of Alabama at Birmingham, the University of Alabama in Huntsville and the University of Montevallo said they will not raise tuition, according to an Alabama Media Group report.

Jacksonville State raised its tuition by 5 percent last year, which has been the general trend. JSU's tuition increase over the last decade matches the average increase in that time period at 71.5 percent.

The University of Alabama System Board of Trustees announced plans to freeze tuition increases for in-state students at all three campuses for the 2019-20 academic year, and the board will formally approve the halt on raising tuition at its June meeting, newly-appointed chancellor Finis St. John IV said during trustee meetings Friday at the University of Alabama in Huntsville.

The largest tuition increase in the state over the past 10 years is 82 percent at the University of Montevallo. Montevallo approved the tuition freeze May 1.

The median average of tuition for in-state undergraduate students at Alabama’s four-year public colleges is $10,707 per year, according to ACHE. That includes required fees and is based on a student taking 30 credit hours of classes.