06/23/2026
The Tennessee Board of Regents approved tuition and fees for the next academic year, capital budget requests for college construction projects, a new academic program, new and revised policies, compensation plans, faculty promotion and tenure recommendations, and more during its latest quarterly meeting.
The board approved finance staff recommendations for tuition and mandatory fees for Academic Year 2026-27 that, combined, are a 3.64 percent increase at TCATs and an average 3.65 percent increase at the community colleges.
The new rates are well under the 4.5 percent combined tuition and fee increase ceiling set by the Tennessee Higher Education Commission for the next academic year. The TBR increases are based on funding some but not all operating cost increases not covered by state appropriations, encouraging cost-cutting and efficiency improvements.
Tuition for in-state students at the 13 community colleges will increase by $6 – to $197 – per credit hour up to 12 credit hours per semester. Each credit hour above 12 will increase by $1, to $42. For students taking 15 credit hours, tuition will be $2,490 per semester.
Tuition at the 22 TCATs will increase by $42 per trimester, to $1,446.
In other action, the board approved capital outlay recommendations for college construction and major renovation projects for Fiscal Year 2027-28, the first step in the funding process.
