The University of Tennessee Board of Trustees voted to approve the first tuition increases in four years as part of UT Knoxville’s $2.2 billion budget. The board approved additional changes related to UT Knoxville, including updates to the guaranteed admissions policy, lease agreements to enhance the student experience and support academics and research, the naming of the Natalie L. Haslam College of Music, and honorary degrees.
Tuition changes
The board approved a 2% tuition increase for in-state students and a 4% tuition increase for out-of-state students effective fall 2024. This is the first tuition increase since the 2019-2020 academic year.
“We worked hard to keep tuition flat for many years and absorbed costs during that time period, including raises for hourly workers and lecturers,” Chancellor Donde Plowman said. “We also created the Division of Student Success, which has been hugely successful and resulted in a 91.1% retention rate for fall 2023. A modest tuition increase is necessary as costs continue to rise to deliver high-quality education programs and a meaningful student experience.”
Tuition increases will support institutional scholarships, expanded academic offerings and student services, and additional capacity in instructional programs.
The board also approved two mandatory fee increases:
- The technology fee will increase by $60 to support the need for hybrid and fully remote IT capabilities and the number of devices using bandwidth on campus.
- The transportation fee will increase by $40 to fund additional routes and buses for the T transport system.
A $44 increase to the online fee — which did not require board approval — will enhance the online learning experience by creating the infrastructure needed to provide targeted success coaches for each online learner and increase the likelihood of retention and degree completion.
Approximately 93% of entering first-year students receive financial aid and scholarships to offset the cost of attendance.
Guaranteed admissions policy changes
The board voted to make changes to the guaranteed admissions policy. Starting with applications for fall 2025, UT Knoxville applicants who are Tennessee residents attending a Tennessee high school are eligible for guaranteed admission if they meet all of the following criteria and early action application deadlines:
- Achieve a 4.0 or higher UT core GPA or finish in the top 10% of their high school graduating class
- Receive an ACT composite score of 24 or higher (or an SAT score of 1160 or higher)
All other Tennessee applicants will go through the university’s holistic admissions process to ensure they are prepared to succeed at UT Knoxville.
Natalie L. Haslam College of Music
The board voted to approve naming the College of Music the Natalie L. Haslam College of Music in recognition of alumna Natalie L. Haslam, who has supported the university for decades after graduating in 1952.
This is the fourth named college in UT’s 230-year history, joining the James A. Haslam II College of Business, the John D. Tickle College of Engineering, and the Herbert College of Agriculture. The naming gift from the Haslam family will ensure the college’s continued growth.
Lease agreements to support students, innovation
The board voted to allow the university to enter several lease agreements to enhance the student experience and support enrollment growth, research and collaboration with industry.
The first is a lease agreement with Core Spaces to create a new Vol Dining facility in a building currently under development at 1925 Cumberland Ave. The building is part of the first phase of a complex of four privately developed student apartment buildings.
The board approved a five-year term at an estimated cost of $2.8 million, and a five-year option to extend the term of the lease. The board also voted to allow the university to spend $3.5 million to furnish and equip the space. The landlord will provide more than $586,000 of improvement funds for the space. The dining hall is expected to open in August 2025.
Aramark Educational Services LLC, the university’s food service provider, will operate the dining facility on behalf of the university under its master agreement. The landlord and Aramark will have an additional separate agreement.
The board approved a new lease for more than 28,000 square feet of space in the former Southern Railroad Depot complex on West Depot Avenue in Knoxville’s Old City to support expansion of the College of Architecture and Design.
The university will lease space in two buildings, which will include a design studio, classroom and office space along with parking for the college. The additional space will meet the needs of the growing college, whose enrollment is expected to increase 30% over the next four to five years.
The five-year lease agreement, with a five-year option to extend, is estimated to cost $4.8 million. The board also approved $2.7 million in university funds to furnish and equip the space. The landlord is providing more than $2.6 million for infrastructure improvements, including a new roof and new HVAC systems, and to support the overall buildout of the space.
The board approved building out space the university leases within the Ortho Tennessee building at the UT Research Park at Cherokee Farm to establish the Center for Precision Health. The center will expand research capabilities and collaboration with industry in computational health, human biomedicine and orthopedics, kinesiology, and translational research. It will also include business incubator space. The center is part of the university’s cluster hire initiative to build capacity for transdisciplinary research and education in high-demand areas.
The university signed a 10-year lease agreement with University Health System Inc. for 15,000 square feet inside the Ortho Tennessee building in December 2022. The agreement has a five-year option to extend the lease.
To establish the center, the board approved allowing the university to use $9 million to build out the leased space. The landlord will provide more than $832,000 of tenant improvement funds. The center is expected to open in early 2025.
Digital Learning
The board heard updates on Digital Learning, the university’s new online education unit. Digital Learning has launched eight new programs and grown the number of fully online students from 1,610 to 2,488 since spring 2022. It has also developed a strategy to double the number of programs available online and triple the number of students studying fully online over the next three years.
The university finalized its agreement with Arizona State University to accelerate growth and impact in the online space. The ASU collaboration is the first of its kind and has three main components:
- Operational advisory services to help the university quickly get to scale
- A course exchange that allows fully online students to take selected courses from the other university
- Cooperation on innovation in instructional technology and teaching methods
Honorary degrees
The board approved honorary degrees for two Tennesseans who have devoted their lives to education and opportunities for all.
Lamar Alexander will be awarded an honorary Doctor of Educational Leadership and Policy degree from the College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences for his unwavering dedication to improving education at all levels. Alexander has served as president of the University of Tennessee, governor of Tennessee, U.S. senator from Tennessee and secretary of the U.S. Department of Education.
The board approved an honorary doctorate of Laws degree for Rita Geier, whose courageous legal efforts transformed Tennessee’s educational system and paved the way for a more inclusive society. Throughout her legal career, Geier challenged discriminatory policies and tirelessly advocated for the rights of all citizens.
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MEDIA CONTACT:
Lisa Leko (865-974-8698, lleko@utk.edu)