VCU news

By Mike Porter

The Virginia Commonwealth University Board of Visitors voted Friday to set tuition and fees for the 2023-24 academic year. Tuition will increase by 3% for undergraduate students.

University leaders cited the need for the increase due to inflation, increased utility costs, operational needs and VCU’s share of a state-proposed merit increase in compensation for faculty (including adjunct faculty) and staff. In-state undergraduate students have paid the same tuition since the 2019-20 academic year. 

The board also voted to increase mandatory student fees by $190, or 6%, in the 2023-24 academic year, including a $165 increase in the university fee, a $15 increase in the technology fee, a $6 increase in the health service fee and a $4 increase in the library fee for much of the same types of needs and growing costs. VCU’s mandatory fees remain among the lowest for Virginia colleges and universities.

“It is never desirable to increase tuition for our students, most of whom are impacted by many of the same economic forces as the university is,” said Michael Rao, Ph.D., president of VCU and VCU Health. “We take seriously our vital role as a public university with a high level of access for students. VCU also has a fiduciary duty to the institution and our students to support the institution’s finances and its mission. After four years of holding tuition flat, the university takes this action to address our obligations and maintain the level of quality in education that our students deserve.”

Rate increases for the academic year, including those for housing, dining and parking, can be found on the Student Financial Services website.

VCU has increased the amount of financial aid to students by more than 33% over the past four years. 

Typical in-state undergraduate students enrolled in 15 credits per semester will pay $16,233 in tuition and mandatory fees in the 2023-24 academic year, an increase of $591. Out-of-state undergraduate students’ tuition and mandatory fees would be set at $38,817, an increase of $1,229.

More information about the budget is available at budget.vcu.edu.