By Spencer Levering, Las Vegas Review-Journal
The Nevada Board of Regents voted 8-5 in favor of increasing fees and tuition at state colleges during a special meeting on Friday, raising rates by as much as 12 percent over the next three years.
For students at UNLV, University of Nevada, Reno and Nevada State University, registration fees and tuition will increase 3 percent for the 2026-2027 academic year, 4 percent for 2027-2028 and 5 percent in 2028-2029. The Board of Regents last voted to increase fees in December 2023.
Full-time Nevada residents at UNLV and UNR will see fees go up approximately $1,200 per year by July 2028, after the last of the step increases. In-state NSU students will see increases of about $900 per year.
Students at the Nevada System of Higher Education’s four community colleges — College of Southern Nevada, Great Basin College, Truckee Meadows Community College and Western Nevada College — will see rates rise depending on course difficulty. Lower-division courses, generally listed as 100- to 200-level classes, will have the costs of fees and tuition rise by 9 percent over the next three years, while upper-division courses will have those costs rise by 12 percent in the same timespan.
These changes amount to fee hikes of around $400 per year for lower-division in-state students and about $900 for upper-division in-state students after July 2028.
The increased tuition and fees are expected to help the Nevada System of Higher Education offset an expected $46.5 million budget shortfall, the Las Vegas Review-Journal previously reported. The Board of Regents in December delayed a vote on the tuition and fee hikes after Chairman Byron Brooks said regents felt they needed additional time before making a decision.
Kelechi Odunze, UNLV’s student body president, called the board’s decision disappointing and said the increased tuition and fees will place a greater financial burden on students in a statement on social media.
“We will continue to fight for all undergraduates and ensure that we keep UNLV accessible and affordable for all,” Odunze wrote.
Students currently in Nevada’s Prepaid Tuition Program can expect to see no changes to tuition and fee rates, State Treasurer Zach Conine said in a news release. The program, established in 1997, allows students to prepay future in-state tuition at current rates.
Story continues after advertisement
“Our mission is to help Nevada families plan for post-secondary education with confidence,” Conine said in a media release. “Prepaid Tuition is a powerful way to shield families from rising costs and ensure that every dollar they invest today goes directly toward their child’s education tomorrow.”
Contact Spencer Levering at [email protected] or 702-383-0253.