UM-Flint offers affordable options for students in approved FY '21 budget

University of Michigan-Flint is taking decisive steps to plan for the future with the new 2020-21 fiscal year budget approved June 29 by the U-M Board of Regents. The steps include keeping tuition affordable and eliminating online fees for students during the coming year. 

The UM-Flint general fund budget for the fiscal year beginning July 1 is $113.6 million. 

The regents also set tuition and fees for the coming academic year with a $243-per-term increase (3.9 percent) in undergraduate tuition and fees and a $306-per-term increase (3.9 percent) in graduate tuition and fees for most graduate programs. 

A typical in-state, full-time freshman student with 15 credit hours will pay an average of $6,446 in tuition and fees per semester in the coming year. The cost of tuition and fees for graduate students varies by program.

With the need for a majority of courses to be offered online as a result of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, UM-Flint is eliminating the online credit fee of $46 per credit for the upcoming academic year. That means that a student taking 15 credit hours online would have a total savings of $690 in fees, more than offsetting the $243-per-term increase. 

"UM-Flint's tuition rate remains one of the lowest in the state, and we are committed to providing an excellent University of Michigan academic experience," said UM-Flint Chancellor Deba Dutta. "Eliminating the online fee for students is the right move to keep our commitment for making education accessible for our students and maintaining our high standards."

President Mark Schlissel also announced he would make a $20 million fund available to be shared by the UM-Flint and UM-Dearborn campuses to support student recruitment, retention and graduation. The money will be devoted to student success initiatives identified by each campus's chancellor and specific to each campus's strategic priorities.

The regents also set room and board rates for the year. The average room and board rates for UM-Flint student housing increased by approximately 2.3 percent with a board rate increase of approximately .09 percent. Room rates vary by room type.