The University of Arkansas Board of Trustees approved a 3.5 percent hike in tuition and fees at the Fayetteville and Fort Smith (UAFS) campuses, beginning of fall 2013 semester.

The average tuition and fee for in-state undergraduates at Fayetteville will be $7,818 for two full semesters or 30 credit hours, which is estimated to be an increase of $246 per student. The tuition and fee raise is the second lowest percentage hike in the last 18 years.

UAFS Chancellor Dr. Paul Beran said that the cost of maintaining the staff and faculty members is continually increasing, which in turn has prompted the tuition and fee hike.

"Since Westark Community College became the University of Arkansas at Fort Smith on January 1, 2002, the faculty have had to have higher level academic degrees and credentials and thus they are costlier to hire," Beran said.

  • University of Arkansas - $7,554 (2013); $7,818 (2014)
  • University of Arkansas at Fort Smith - $5,436; $5,627
  • University of Arkansas at Little Rock - $7,344; $7,601
  • University of Arkansas at Monticello - $5,560; $5,794 (4.2 percent)
  • University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff - $5,518; $5,755 (4.3 percent)

Chancellor G. David Gearhart said that if salary packages of the professor and associated professors continue to remain below other schools in the Midwest and Southeastern Conference, the system might lose prospective lecturers to their competitors if the compensation is not increased.

Tuition at Arkansas State University (ASU) Jonesboro campus will be raised by 3.3 percent, an increase of $165 per semester.

Tuition and fee for undergraduates enrolled in 30 hours at Arkansas Tech University (ATU) will be $6,918 for the 2013-2014 academic year. The tuition previously cost $6,528. Tuition at the ATU-Ozark campus will be raised from $84 per credit hour to $94.