By Alex Sakariassen MONTANA FREE PRESS
The Montana Board of Regents this month approved a series of increases to tuition rates for resident and non-resident students across the state’s university system, driven by the rising costs associated with higher education and recent adjustments to an employee pay plan adopted by the 2025 Legislature.
Over the next two academic years, tuition for in-state and out-of-state students alike at Montana’s two flagship campuses — the University of Montana in Missoula and Montana State University in Bozeman — is slated to increase $432 per year over the next two academic years. Tuition at Montana Tech in Butte will go up $360 while tuition at four-year regional campuses such as UM Western in Dillon and MSU Billings will increase by $288. For the state’s two-year campuses, the annual increase will be $96.
According to university system data, yearly tuition averages for resident students at most two-year campuses have gradually ticked up closer to $3,000 in recent years, with non-resident rates fluctuating considerably between $7,000 and $16,000. Yearly tuition averages at the four-year regional campuses have slowly approached $5,000 for residents and currently sit around $20,000 for non-residents. At Montana Tech, tuition averages have risen just above $6,000 for residents and $24,000 for non-residents, while the averages at the state’s two flagships have reached roughly $6,000 for residents and $30,000 for non-residents. Tuition across the system has remained consistently below the Western state average for in-state undergraduates.
During a presentation to the regents May 21, Deputy Commissioner for Budget and Planning Tyler Trevor explained that campus expenditures have outpaced increases in tuition and fees over the past decade, as have growth in inflation and Montanans’ household income. Tuition rates for resident students remained largely frozen until a few years ago, a trend that has kept Montana’s in-state tuition rate below the average of peer institutions elsewhere in the country. Regent Loren Bough noted as much in this month’s meeting when inquiring about what programs or services might be at risk if the regents didn’t approve the increases.
“What we’re saying now is those tough decisions 18 years ago have made us look really affordable,” Bough said, referencing consistent freezes to in-state tuition, “and we’ve saved millions of dollars and gained more access for kids for the past 18 years. But now we have a little catch-up to do to really bring things back into balance.”
Even with the approved increase, Trevor argued the net cost of attendance across Montana campuses would remain affordable for resident and non-resident students. Compared to 20 years ago, he said, 26% of first-time resident undergraduates at Montana’s two flagship universities are receiving financial aid. That assistance is now providing an average of $4,200 more for those students, while tuition and fees have increased $3,152 over that time span. Based on those figures, Trevor estimated the cost of higher education to be $2,300 lower than in 2006 when adjusted for inflation.
“We have a very affordable system,” Trevor said, “and when you put in financial aid, the average amount received, we have an incredibly affordable system.”
In an email response to Montana Free Press, university system spokesperson Leanne Kurtz noted the funding per student at Montana campuses is among the lowest in the nation — and is likely even lower for smaller campuses in the state, which tend to attract fewer non-resident students who pay more but have similar needs in terms of facilities, equipment and faculty compensation. As far as affordability, Kurtz wrote there are numerous programs aimed at maintaining and improving college access for resident and non-resident students including the Montana 10 scholarship program for undergrad, Pell-eligible students. Lawmakers extended state funding for that program this spring. Kurtz further speculated that Montana’s heightened popularity nationally will continue to drive interest among out-of-state applicants to the state’s campuses.
Montana Commissioner of Higher Education Clayton Christian didn’t discount the impact that increased tuition might have on some in-state and out-of-state families. However, citing post-pandemic inflationary pressures, Christian told regents the university system has to find ways to keep up with costs in order to maintain the quality of higher education. Roughly 86% of the system’s budget goes toward faculty and staff, Christian said, and a major factor in increasing revenues is ensuring the system can retain and support the individuals who make campus programs and services function.
“This won’t make up for those earlier decisions, and frankly I think they were the right decisions,” Christian said, referencing past tuition freezes. “I think being very affordable has served Montana well, and served Montana students. And I think we continue on that track with all that we can do to maintain that high-level affordability while not allowing our quality expectations and program offerings around the system to decline.”
