Board of Visitors to consider 2024-25 tuition and fees at April 9 meeting; virtual public comment opportunity scheduled for March 26

Mark Owczarski

8 Mar 2024

The arch within West Eggleston Hall — The arch of West Eggleston Hall on Virginia Tech's Blacksburg campus. Photo by Ray Meese for Virginia Tech

The Virginia Tech Board of Visitors will meet on Tuesday, April 9, at 1:15 p.m. in 2100 Torgersen Hall, 620 Drillfield Drive, Blacksburg, to consider tuition and mandatory fees for the 2024-25 academic year.

In advance of the April board meeting, Virginia Tech will provide a virtual public comment opportunity on Tuesday, March 26, at 11 a.m. The link to observe this event or to pre-register to speak will be posted to the Board of Visitors website. Several board members will participate virtually as university officials provide an overview of proposed tuition and fees ranges and to receive public comment consistent with guidelines posted to the Virginia Tech Board of Visitors website.

Tuition and fees support the university’s major strategic initiatives - Virginia Tech Global Distinction and Virginia Tech Advantage - and serve as the primary source of operating revenue for delivering programs to our students. Tuition and fees are set in the context of university cost drivers and available state funding. Over the last several years, the board has prioritized the affordability of a Virginia Tech degree while making targeted investments that enhance the value of a Virginia Tech education to both students and the commonwealth and continue to position the university as a leader in teaching, research, and innovation.

With a heightened focus on student affordability, the university launched Virginia Tech Advantage, which leverages state, philanthropic, and university resources to reduce unmet financial need and increase support for students’ basic needs, career preparation, and transformational learning experiences. In addition to Virginia Tech Advantage, the university continues to mitigate tuition increases through the strategic alignment of incremental state funding, cost containment strategies, administrative efficiencies, and internal reallocations to maximize available resources.

As a result of these continued efforts, the board has been able to limit the average in-state undergraduate tuition increase to just half the rate of inflation for the last five years. This was achieved while making a sustained commitment to advancing underserved and underrepresented student enrollment, increasing institutional support for student financial aid, and advancing critical initiatives that enhance Virginia Tech’s mission as a leading global land-grant institution.

For the 2024-25 fiscal year, the university administration is modeling increases in tuition and Educational and General (E&G) fees from 0 to 3 percent, which is below the 4.9 percent increase included in the university’s six-year plan approved by the Board of Visitors last November. The university administration will also recommend increases between 0 percent and 4 percent for mandatory non-E&G fees to support mandated cost increases including employee compensation and benefits, and sustaining and enhancing student services including the transit system and student health/counseling services.

Virginia Tech maintains the lowest mandatory non-E&G fees among public four-year institutions in the commonwealth.

March 26 public comment guidelines

Following an overview of proposed tuition and fees ranges at the March 26 virtual event, there will be an opportunity for public comment. Those interested in participating in the virtual public comment event must pre-register at the Board of Visitors website on a first-come, first-served basis no later than Tuesday, March 19. Speakers will be asked to specify their affiliation with the university (current student, parent, alumnus, faculty or staff, member of the public).

The public comment period will be held for 30 minutes with the option to increase the time up to a total of 60 minutes if there is sufficient demand. If time remains during the half-hour public comment period after the pre-registered speakers offer their comments, additional speakers may be offered the opportunity to speak during the remaining time. Those who wish to speak but did not pre-register may submit a request via email to vppg@vt.edu between 11 and 11:45 a.m. March 26.

In addition, there will be dedicated time slots for a representative from the Undergraduate Student Senate and from the Graduate and Professional Student Senate to provide a statement on behalf of their respective constituencies. This does not preclude individual students from registering to speak during the public comment period or from providing written comments.

Each speaker will be limited to three minutes and must restrict their comments to tuition and fees only. Speakers wishing to have their comments entered in the public record must submit a typed copy via email to bov@vt.edu by March 26.

If you are an individual with a disability and desire an accommodation, please send an email to vppg@vt.edu or call 540-231-6232 during regular business hours at least 10 days prior to the event.

The March 26 virtual budget workshop and public comment session also will be livestreamed for those who wish to observe, without offering comment. The link will be provided at the Board of Visitors website. However, those wishing to make comments must register in accordance with the instructions above.