Credit Hour Fee to be Implemented Next Semester

Tuition rates will not be rising next year; however, an additional $22 per credit hour fee was recently approved by The Troy University Board of Trustees.

The fee will begin Aug. 1and will apply to all in-person students and to all campus-based students enrolled in online courses. Students receiving full scholarships under the Scholars Plus Award and Scholars Awards will have the fee covered by financial aid.

While most universities do have fees that are separate from tuition, Troy University’s Clear Cost Tuition pricing model eliminated fees in 2021 to establish a single price for classes.

“At Troy University, we remain committed to providing high-quality education at an affordable cost,” said Senior Vice Chancellor of Financial Affairs and Online Education Dr. Jim Bookout. “While we have only raised tuition twice in the past six years, ongoing inflation and uncertainty regarding state and federal funding have presented financial challenges.

“In 2021, we adjusted our pricing structure to eliminate most fees. However, to continue supporting essential campus operations — including technology and facilities — we made the difficult decision to introduce a $22 per credit hour fee.”

Tuition rates will remain at $424 per credit hour for undergraduate classes, $475 per credit hour for graduate classes and $550 per credit hour for doctoral classes.

Students like sophomore social work major Morgan Mason said having the fee be a separate charge feels like a “loophole” that allows the university to say costs are not rising – even though a student taking 15 credit hours will have to pay $330 more per semester.

“This will make it harder for a lot more students here that came because of how affordable Troy was at one point,” Mason said. “With the increase from last year and this year, it will be a lot more for us.

“I chose Troy solely on affordability. I am blessed enough to have people in my life pay, but as it increases without scholarships, it’s getting pretty pricey.”

Mason said her cost of attendance is higher as a sophomore living in Clements Hall than it was as a freshman living in the most expensive dorm, Rushing Hall.

“Honestly it feels like a scam,” Morgan said.

Troy University raised tuition costs for the first time since 2018 for the 2023-2024 school year, when the price for undergraduate tuition rose from $388 per credit hour to $408.

Costs rose again by $16 per credit hour for the current 2024-2025 school year – making the new $22 fee a costlier increase than last year’s tuition raise.

In the 2022-2023 school year, an undergraduate student taking 15 credit hours would have paid around $5,820. Next semester, with the fee included, that same course load will cost $6,690, which is an increase of nearly 15% over three years.

“According to a recent AL.com report, Troy maintains the 11th lowest tuition rate in the state,” Bookout said, referring to an article published last Friday. “We take our commitment to stewardship seriously, working to keep costs low for students.

“We are proud to remain among the most affordable universities in the state.”