(CAPITOL CITY NOW) – The cost of going to a University of Illinois school is going up. Starting with this fall’s undergraduate class, the U of I System will raise tuition by 2.2% at Urbana-Champaign and Chicago and 2% at Springfield.

The increase means incoming full-time students will pay $12,992 per year at Urbana-Champaign, $11,424 at Chicago, and $9,840 at Springfield. The system reports the hike will help cover rising costs after being under a freeze for seven of the past 10 years.

U of I System President Tim Killeen said, “These modest increases will allow our universities to balance critical operating needs and the excellence our students and their families count on with the affordability we are committed to providing.”

Under state law, tuition for resident undergraduates remains fixed for four years after enrollment, so the change will only affect new students starting with the 2025-26 school year.

Tuition isn’t the only expense going up. At Urbana-Champaign and Chicago, room and board costs will increase by 5%, bringing totals to $13,848 and $14,130 annually. Springfield will see a 4.4% increase, with room and board at $11,866 per year.

The system points to financial aid as a way for students to offset costs, indicating it distributes $298 million annually in financial aid – up $104 million over the past decade. Combined with state and federal aid, over a third of undergraduates pay no tuition or fees, and more than half of Illinois students pay less than $3,000 per semester.

Nearly 80% of undergraduate students in the system come from Illinois, and more than two-thirds receive some form of financial assistance.

President’s House

The U of I System Board of Trustees also voted to designate the President’s House in Urbana as the primary residence for the Urbana-Champaign chancellor at the end of current System President Tim Killeen’s tenure.

Trustees are expected to determine the future location of the U of I System president’s primary residence at a later date – calling the decision a “strategic priority.” The house was built in 1931 and was designated for the president before Chicago and Springfield were added and Discovery Partners Institute in Chicago and the Illinois Innovation Network were created.