University System of Georgia students will pay the same tuition for the 2018-2019 academic year as the current 2017-2018 academic year, after the Board of Regents set annual tuition rates for all 26 colleges and universities at a zero percent increase.

“We are grateful to Gov. Nathan Deal and the General Assembly for their consistent support of public higher education in Georgia,” Chancellor Steve Wrigley said. “We also recognize the critical need to keep our institutions affordable for students while providing a quality education. The board’s decision today maintains our commitment to keeping tuition increases to a minimum.”

The University System has been able to limit tuition increases to an average of 1.8 percent annually over the last five years and continues to offer some of the lowest tuition rates among peer public higher education systems. Out of the 16 states that make up the Southern Regional Education Board, the USG remains the sixth lowest state in tuition and fees for four-year institutions.

The board also continues to ensure fees charged by USG institutions are kept to a minimum. Only nine of the USG’s 26 institutions will be allowed limited fee increases for the upcoming fiscal year, ranging from $3 to $31 per semester for a full-time, in-state undergraduate student.

“In 2016, a state audit report found that tuition and fees in the University System averaged 25 percent less than what institutions in peer states charged,” said Shelley Nickel, executive vice chancellor for strategy and fiscal affairs. “In 2018, we remain focused on giving students an affordable, accessible and high-quality experience that we hope ultimately results in their success.”

In addition, the USG is saving students $19 million a year with its free online textbook initiative called Affordable Learning Georgia. More than 219,300 students from across the system have benefited directly from the program, which has grown rapidly. Just two years ago, the University System was ranked number one in the nation by national publisher OpenStax at Rice University for saving students the most money with free online textbooks.