In June, NKU’s Board of Regents unanimously agreed to raise tuition, parking, housing and dining rates for students in the 2023-2024 school year. This was one of the solutions NKU created to counter their $9.6 million budget deficit. This decision has impacted the ways some students pay for their education, among other costs too.
When asked how they pay for tuition, students stated they paid through help from their parents, scholarships, loans, social security or by themselves. “I work, so I make the installment plan payment, but before it was with scholarships. With the tuition raise it didn’t cover it all, so now I have to work more to pay the tuition,” said Brittney Cabrera.
Some students believe there could have been a different approach regarding how to handle the deficit issue. Some students also feel that being more transparent about the situation would have eased tensions. “I think it will restrict people from coming here because of money. If it’s already an issue now, if they keep raising it, it will become even worse,” said freshman Paige Allen. Many students say they chose NKU because of its affordability compared to other colleges, but this raise could impact future students’ decisions.
“I’m a first year, but I would say that [the tuition raise] would affect me by less of a refund, which I plan to use that money for studying abroad,” said Tiara Watkins. “It gives me less funds to do so, so then I have to cover the rest of it by working.”
In addition to the tuition increase, other costs were impacted as well: parking passes increased by 9.6% leading the price tag to be $286 for the full academic year. Depending on the room type, housing has gone up between 4.9 and 7.8%. Compared to last semester, meal plans have gone up by 8.5%, allowing the most expensive meal option to come in at $2,235 per semester. “It just keeps going up, especially housing. It’s getting a little steep,” said residential student John Thomas.
“The focus has changed for me from academics to ‘how am I gonna be able to stay here,” Cabrera said.
Students who are heavily impacted by the costs can contact NKU’s Office of Student Financial Assistance. 77% of NKU students receive financial aid. The office can provide assistance on FAFSA, scholarships and calculating students’ net price. For more information, or to get into contact, click here.
To watch students’ live interviews, check out our Instagram Reel here.