PROPOSED TUITION AND MANDATORY FEE INCREASE
AGENDA ITEM FOR BOARD OF TRUSTEES' JUNE 23, 2026
SPECIAL CALLED MEETING
Tennessee law (Tennessee Code Annotated § 49-7-1603) requires boards of public universities to give public notice of proposed increases to tuition and mandatory fees charged to in-state undergraduate students at least 15 days prior to holding a public meeting to adopt the increases. Individuals are permitted to provide comments during the 15-day period.
The tuition and fee increase will be considered as an action item at the Tennessee State University Board of Trustees’ June 23, 2026, meeting.
Explanation for the Proposed Tuition and Mandatory Fee Increases
The combined total proposed in-state tuition and mandatory fee increase being considered for the 2026-2027 academic year is 4.5%. The breakdown of the increase is as follows:
Purposes for Which the Revenue Derived from the Tuition and Mandatory Fee Increases Will be Used
Revenue derived from the tuition and mandatory fee increase will be used primarily for student-facing activities, including greater investments in technology, student health services, campus access and security, and graduation, as well as other initiatives to positively impact student experience and to cover increases in operating expenses. The University remains committed to affordability while balancing financial sustainability.
Efforts to Mitigate the Effect of Tuition and Mandatory Fee Increases on Students
Tennessee State University makes reasonable efforts to mitigate the effect of tuition and fee increases on students as noted by the following:
- Tennessee State University’s in state undergraduate tuition and mandatory fees remain one of the lowest among public universities in Tennessee.
- The proposed increase is within the Tennessee Higher Education Commission’s (THEC) established tuition range (0%-4.5%) for the academic year 2026-2027.
In addition to efforts to mitigate the effect on students, The Board of Trustees considers the following factors when determining the necessity for a tuition and fees increase:
- Level of State support,
- Total cost of attendance,
- Efforts to mitigate the negative financial effect on students,
- THEC mandatory tuition and fee ranges,
- Inflationary costs,
- Tuition and fee levels at peer institutions and competing institutions,
- Student demand, and
- Other factors pertinent to the cost of the University’s operations and programs of study.
Individuals are invited to submit written comments about the proposed increase via email to the Board Secretary, Ginette Brown, at gbrown36@tnstate.edu, with the subject line “Public Comment: TSU Tuition and Fees Increase.”
Additionally, comments may be submitted by mail to Tennessee State University, Office of the General Counsel and Board Secretary, Suite 260, 3500 John A. Merritt Blvd., Nashville, TN 37209.
All comments must be received by
June 21, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. CT.
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