VCU news

By Mike Porter

The Virginia Commonwealth University Board of Visitors approved a $1.3 billion operating budget Friday for the 2019-20 academic year that includes no increase in tuition or to education and general mandatory fees for undergraduate students. 

Two non-education and general mandatory fees will increase by $106 in the 2019-20 academic year. This includes a $9 increase in the health service fee and a $97 increase in the university fee, which funds career and counseling centers, student disability and service centers, recreational sports, and similar programs.

The Virginia General Assembly granted VCU an additional $12.5 million in support of base operations: $3.4 million to support student aid, $6.8 million in permanent funding and one-time funding of $2.3 million to offset health benefit costs. The budget also funds a merit pool for faculty, adjunct faculty, university and academic professionals and classified staff. 

VCU President Michael Rao, Ph.D., expressed appreciation to the General Assembly for its investment in higher education during this year’s legislative session.

“We are pleased to move forward with a budget that prioritizes our accessibility and helps ensure our students will have a nationally premier educational experience. This is possible in part because of increased investment in VCU from the commonwealth of Virginia,” Rao said. 

Typical in-state undergraduate students enrolled in 15 credits per semester will pay $14,596 in tuition and mandatory fees in the 2019-20 academic year. Out-of-state undergraduate students’ tuition and mandatory fees are set at $35,904. 

More information about the budget is available at https://budget.vcu.edu/budget-plans/.