The University of Houston Board of Regents speaking during the seminar meeting on Thursday, March 12, 2026 in Houston, Texas. | Gillian Wisniewski/The Cougar

The UH System Board of Regents met on March 12 at the Hilton Hotel for its third meeting of the 2025-26 year.

Increase in student expenses

Changes to the optional and new course fees for the UH System will include increases in housing prices, meal plans and parking.

UH student housing will increase by $165 on average for the 2027 fiscal year and $164 on average for the 2028 fiscal year on a semester basis. The rate increase proposal was supported by the Student Housing and Residential Life Advisory Board.

A 3.7% increase on average for the UH residential meal plan and a 3.2% increase on average for the commuter meal plan will take place for fiscal year 2027.

UHCL will have a $100 increase on average in the declining balance plan for FY27. These rate proposals are supported by the Food Service and Advisory Committee. 

UH parking fees will also change based on tier level. For Tier 1 and 2 parking there will be no change in FY27 and a change of 2.9% and 1.4% in Tiers 1 and 2 respectively for FY28.

Tier 3 parking will see a 2.9% and 2.8% change in FY27 and FY28. Tier 3 which is noted to hold 75% of the UH parking waitlist for its respective zones will see a 9% change for FY27 and an 8.6% change for FY28.

Additionally, UH Clear Lake will establish course fees for the introduction of a new academic program.

UHCL will implement a course fee from $50 to $150 a semester to support a new set of courses under the undergraduate aerospace engineering program to help support materials and equipment. 

Academics

The board approved the implementation of four new academic programs within the business and engineering disciplines.

UH Downtown will have a Bachelors of Business Administration in Business Intelligence which is cited to meet both local and national workforce needs and will not overlap with any existing programs. Additionally, UH Downtown will have an Entrepreneurship and Family Business program.

UH will create two degrees, one for undergraduate and graduate students, which are named interdisciplinary.

The Bachelors of Science in multidisciplinary engineering will allow students to stack credentials across different engineering concentrations, providing a wide range of studies.

The Master of Engineering also allows students to put together options that range from different certificates, courses and a required capstone project.

The board plans on focusing these degrees within the UH Katy campus.

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