For the second consecutive year, University of West Georgia students will pay the same tuition for the next academic year as the current year.

The University System of Georgia Board of Regents voted Tuesday to keep the 2021-22 academic year’s tuition rates at the same level as this school year for the fourth time since 2016. Additionally, the board voted to approve a recommendation of no increases to any mandatory fees.

“As we look forward to a full return of the college experience in Fall 2021, we recognize the financial challenges that have been placed on our students and their families as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Dr. Brendan Kelly, UWG president. “The Board of Regents decision reflects a commitment to ensuring there are as few barriers as possible to students being successful in pursuing their future.”

In-state tuition for full-time UWG undergraduate students (those who enroll in 15 or more credit hours) per semester will continue at $2,732 for the 2021-22 year, tied for the lowest in UWG’s peer set of regional comprehensive universities.

For graduate students taking 12 credit hours, in-state tuition will remain $2,892. That’s the lowest tuition in the comprehensive group, which includes Georgia Southern University, Kennesaw State University and Valdosta State University.

USG Chancellor Steve Wrigley said the system has remained committed to “making public higher education as affordable as possible for students and their families while maintaining results that rank our campuses among some of the best in the nation.”

“We are grateful for the support of the board and state leaders toward this priority and recognize students’ hard work especially over the past year to maintain success toward graduating and entering Georgia’s workforce with college degrees,” Wrigley said.

With the board’s action, USG has limited tuition increases among its institutions to an average 0.75 percent annually since 2016, well below the rate of inflation. USG now also has the third-lowest median in-state tuition and fees for undergraduates at four-year institutions among the 16 states that make up the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB).

“It is more important than ever for the Board of Regents to remove barriers that may stand in the way of students’ success,” said Sachin Shailendra, board chairman. “That work must include keeping the cost of our colleges and universities affordable so that students and their families can successfully get their degrees, improve their quality of life and help increase Georgia’s economic competitiveness.”

photography by Miranda Daniel and Julia Mothersole