Garimella announces fourth consecutive tuition freeze

UVM President Suresh Garimella announced plans to freeze tuition for a fourth consecutive year in a Sept. 15 press release. Garimella has maintained the freeze every year since his arrival at UVM. 

Garimella’s 2022-23 budget also proposes that the undergrad comprehensive fee remain frozen and the graduate comprehensive fee be reduced by $250, with room and board charges remaining frozen for the third consecutive year. 

“Students graduating in UVM’s Class of 2023 will complete four years of study at the state’s flagship paying the same tuition as they did when they started,” Garimella said. “We are intensely focused on reducing student debt so Catamounts can build their lives and careers without the burden of large loan payments.” 

The board of trustees formally endorsed Garimella’s vision, “Amplifying Our Impact,” May 2020, which aims to prioritize affordability, accessibility and quality of education, with a focus on investing in research and fulfilling UVM’s land grant mission, according to the press release. 

“At a time when families are still finding their way out of the economic stress of the pandemic, it is important that we further strengthen our commitment to student affordability and access,” Garimella said. “That is why I will recommend to the board approval for a zero tuition increase next year.” 

The proposed budget and plans to freeze tuition for in-state and out-of-state undergraduate and graduate students are pending approval by the board of trustees, according to the press release. 

“Funding a college education is one of the largest expenditures that families face,” Garimella said. “It is an investment that is increasingly important to securing a young person’s future success, but college is slipping from the reach of many families.” 

Garimella’s 2019 announcement recommending the initial tuition freeze was historic, as tuition had not been frozen at UVM in over 40 years until that point, according to the press release. 

“Tuition increases are not the solution to the budget pressures facing higher education,” Garimella said. “Instead, the University will continue to ensure its operating costs are contained, while seeking additional revenue through innovative educational offerings, growing our research partnerships and philanthropy.” 

UVM also provides over $160 million worth of scholarships and financial aid to students annually, enabling over 90 percent of in-state students to receive some scholarship or financial assistance, with nearly half of UVM’s Vermonters paying no tuition at all, according to the press release. Garimella’s Student Opportunity, Access and Recruitment fundraising campaign, announced last fall, has raised over $45 million to support new student scholarships, programs and services. Garimella’s new Common Ground scholarship, a centerpiece of SOAR, will go towards supporting underserved students.