UCF OKs 15% increase to out-of-state undergraduate tuition

ORLANDO, Fla. — Out-of-state undergraduate students attending the University of Central Florida will pay more for tuition after its Board of Trustees approved a 15% increase for them beginning this fall.

University leaders said the increase is expected to generate nearly $9.8 million in additional annual revenue.

“I wanted to go and tell them that I didn’t want that to happen,” said undergraduate student Dylan Beaudreau, who came from out of state to attend UCF.

Beaudreau attended Thursday morning’s Board of Trustees meeting to voice his concerns about the tuition increase.

He said his family is trying to figure out how to afford the higher costs.

“You got to pay tuition by kind of the middle of August. So, it only gives you around a month’s notice to get the dollars together,” Beaudreau said. “That isn’t easy to do for the average person.”

Beaudreau isn’t the only one with concerns. Sebastian Negron graduated from UCF this past May and was also an out-of-state undergraduate student.

While he won’t be affected by the increase, he said cost was an important factor when deciding where to attend college.

“I would hate for other people to rule out such an amazing school just because it’s, you know, not their state, not the cheapest option,” Negron said.

This increase does not affect in-state students, out-of-state graduate students or out-of-state medical students.

“Prior to last year, UCF has not adjusted its undergraduate out-of-state fee in more than a decade,” said Bert Francis, UCF Interim Vice President for Administration and Finance and University Treasurer.

The increase will move UCF’s undergraduate out-of-state tuition rate to the fourth-highest among the State University System of Florida’s 12 institutions.

“That places UCF within the range of our peers, while remaining below several other institutions in the State University System,” Francis said.

According to university officials, the additional revenue will help improve instructional quality by funding faculty salary increases and recruiting and retention efforts, and it will support student success programs.

Affected students will be notified directly and provided with information about available financial aid and other support resources, UCF officials said.