UNA approves 5% cost of attendance increase

FLORENCE, Ala. (WAFF) - The University of North Alabama approved a cost of attendance increase for undergrads on Friday.

According to a UNA release, the Board of Trustees unanimously voted to increase undergraduate tuition by $20 per credit hour for the next academic year. Graduate tuition will remain unchanged.

The increase is being enacted to help mitigate the impact of inflation as well as multi-year budget deficits.

“We take this decision thoughtfully, carefully, and strategically,” said UNA President Dr. Ken Kitts. “While we have made real progress through Project 208 to secure additional funding from the state, we still receive less support than our peers on a per-student basis. I commend and thank the Board of Trustees for its vision and leadership on this important matter.”

Project 208, an initiative spearheaded by President Kitts since 2017 and indicative of the number of miles from Florence to the state capital of Montgomery, has helped narrow the chronic funding gap that separates UNA from Alabama’s other publicly funded institutions of higher education. The moderate increase in tuition will help offset inequities in state support and enhance academic programming.

Evan Thornton, Vice President for Business and Financial Affairs and Chief Financial Officer, said, “the University manages its resources conservatively and has the lowest administrative overhead in the state, but rising inflation, flat tuition for the past three years, and multi-year budgetary deficits necessitate this modest increase.”

Total cost of attendance rose 5% from $17,220 to $18,080 per year.

Read more about UNA’s costs here.

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