Rutgers approves BIG tuition hikes for NJ students — blames faculty salaries

💲 Rutgers announces large tuition increase for next year

💲 School blames faculty members who went on strike earlier this year

💲 University doesn't mention huge expenditures for sports programs

Rutgers' Board of Governors has approved a large tuition increase for the next academic year.

Students will bear a 6% increase, which brings per semester tuition up to $6,837. That figure does not include a $100 student fee or costs for food and housing.

💲 Housing costs will rise 5%.

💲 Meal plans will increase by 7%.

The increase is more than double the increase imposed in 2022, and 2% greater than the rate of inflation.

In a statement, Rutgers officials blamed the large increase on labor costs.

"The university's new labor contract with the faculty union, which was agreed to in May 2023 following the first-ever strike by the university faculty, applies retroactively to July 1, 2022. It increases labor costs by nearly 8 percent in the first two years and by a similar amount in the last two years of the four-year agreement," the statement reads.

Rutgers President Jonathan Holloway praised the budget, "This budget ensures that Rutgers will continue to provide our students with exceptional academic, research and public service opportunities as they pursue their education and engage in civic life."

According to Rutgers officials, they are also facing "unprecedented increases in the cost of employee benefits, including health insurance premiums and pension contributions."

What the statement did not say

While announcing the 6% tuition increase, Rutgers officials made no mention of huge expenditures on an athletics program that continues to fail to produce any net positive revenue for the school.

In 2022, Rutgers spent a record $138.4 million to fund 22 teams.

As of last year, nearly 3% of the total university budget is directed to sports programs and facilities, including $29.7 million in coaching salaries.

Last year's athletics budget represented a 14.5% increase over the previous year and the sixth consecutive year of record spending, according to NJ.com.

Rutgers vows help for students

In addition to announcing the tuition increases for next year, Rutgers officials also pledged more help for struggling students.

"We remain equally committed to strengthening financial aid programs that reduce net costs for a majority of our students," William E. Best, chairman of the Rutgers Board of Governors, said in a statement.

According to Rutgers, 4 in 5 students receive "some form of student financial aid from federal, state, private or institutional financial aid programs, including need-based and merit-based grants, scholarships and loans."

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