The Arizona Board of Regents has approved tuition increases in the state's three public universities starting from the 2013-14 academic year.
Arizona State University (ASU) and the University of Arizona (UA) are hiking tuition by 3 percent or $300 while incoming students at Northern Arizona University (NAU) will pay 5 percent more.
As a result, ASU new resident undergraduate tuition will cost around $9,500 per year; UA tuition for resident undergraduate students is priced at approximately $10,400 per year, and resident undergraduate students at NAU would be charged about $9,700 per year.
Regent Mark Killian said that they are forced to raise the tuition because the universities have experienced more cuts in state funding.
However, Killian said that the new fee structures are still affordable for students. Other prominent universities have increased their tuition by 17 percent or more.
The university presidents claim that tuition hikes are required to offer high quality education to the growing number of students. Admissions at state universities have increased by 17 percent, since 2008.
"None of us like to be in the position of increasing tuition," Regent Anne Mariucci said. "We're all very, very mindful of the sacrifices, the struggles and the difficulties that any kind of increase presents to our students and our families."
On the other hand, the board of regents also approved a 2.8 percent increase in fees for residence halls, student and family housing and meal plans.
Meanwhile, the board decided to lower the tuition rates by 11 percent for in-state residents at UA James E. Rogers College of Law and by 8 percent for its nonresidents.
The state's other law school, ASU Sandra Day O'Connor College of the Law, will continue with their current tuition costs at $26,267 for resident students and $40,815 for nonresidents.
