The University of Nebraska Board of Regents will meet June 18 in Lincoln to consider the university’s budget for the upcoming fiscal year, including a proposed tuition increase. Regents will vote on a proposed 4.25 percent system-wide tuition increase as part of the University of Nebraska’s 2026-27 operating budget.
University officials say the increase is needed to help offset inflation-driven costs and maintain academic programs and student services. “Raising tuition is not a decision we make lightly,” says NU President Dr. Jeffrey P. Gold. “We strive to deliver an extraordinary educational experience for each of our students, and the budget the board is set to consider reflects that commitment.
Gold also says it also preserves and strengthens our need- and merit-based scholarship programs, while ensuring we can continue providing an outstanding education that remains among the most affordable within our peer university group.”
University President Jeffrey Gold also says the budget proposal would preserve need- and merit-based scholarship programs while keeping the university among the most affordable in its peer group. The proposed increase follows a five percent tuition hike approved last year and a three-and-a-half percent increase in 2024.
Prior to that, tuition rates remained unchanged from 2020 through 2024 during the COVID-19 pandemic. The university is slated to receive a .621 percent increase in state appropriations for the coming fiscal year, along with a $5 million reduction in biomedical research funding.
Regents will also consider creating a new system-wide Institute on Advanced Artificial Intelligence. The proposal is designed to expand AI-related teaching, research and community engagement across all four NU campuses. The meeting begins at 9 a.m. at Varner Hall in Lincoln and will be open to the public and streamed live on the University of Nebraska website.