USF’s Board of Trustees unanimously approved a plan to increase tuition for out-of-state students beginning in the fall. 

The university will raise the fee for undergraduate out-of-state students by almost $35 per credit hour.

USF recommends that students take 30 credit hours each year to graduate in four years. This means the total cost for out-of-state students’ tuition could be raised by over $1,000 per school year — depending on the number of credits they choose to take.

This is the first time USF raised out-of-state tuition since 2012. USF had the lowest per-hour credit fee for out-of-state students in Florida, according to Board of Governors documents. 

BOT Chair Will Weatherford said at a special meeting on Thursday that the university is trying to find a balance between maximizing revenue while being mindful of financial impacts on students.

“I think we’re trying to be thoughtful, that it’s not cheap to run a public university, and we’re heavily subsidizing out-of-state students,” Weatherford said. 

Related: Here is a breakdown of USF’s undergrad tuition fees

The move comes after the BOG voted in June to allow public universities to increase the fee paid by out-of-state students by 10% starting in the fall 2025 semester, and by 15% starting in the fall 2026 semester. 

USF joined five other Florida public universities that have raised out-of-state tuition by 10% this month — The University of Florida, Florida State University, Florida International University, Florida A&M University and The University of Central Florida.

The undergraduate out-of-state student population at Florida public universities has risen by 148% since 2012, according to the Florida Board of Governors. 

But out-of-state undergraduates won’t be the only students affected by the change at USF. Tuition for out-of-state graduates is also being raised. 

Tessa Barber is the president of USF Graduate Assistants United, a labor union representing USF graduate student employees. 

She said the tuition increase would cause harm and financial pressure on out-of-state graduate students. 

“It’s important to understand students in the Tampa area are also subject to the rising cost of living,” Barber said. “It’s simply not sustainable to ask already strained graduate students to foot the bill for these rising expenses too.” 

The fee for out-of-state graduate students will be raised by over $42 per credit hour.

Weatherford said the board would further discuss impacts on graduate students in a future meeting. 

Although the increase passed unanimously, USF student body president Sumit Jadhav, an international student from India, abstained from the vote due to a “conflict of interest”. 

International students are included in the population that pays out-of-state tuition. They make up 10.9% of USF’s student body, according to the USF Fact Book. 

Jadhav acknowledged the financial impacts on students like himself, and said he hopes the gained revenue contributes to student success.

“I hope we can continue to find ways to support our out-of-state students so that USF remains an accessible and attractive destination for top students across the country,” Jadhav said. 

Related: How funding cuts are affecting USF student orgs, depts

USF is set to gain more than $5.1 million in annual revenue from this change, according to BOT  documents. 

BOT documents said the hike will support academics and student services because of higher expenses.

BOT member David Simmons said it would be a “mistake” for USF to give up additional revenue, but said the university should now turn its attention to the potential impact on its students. 

“If we’re going to take that step, it’s on us to make sure that we take care of these students and make sure they’re able to succeed and not be under financial stress to the extent we can,” Simmons said.