Why Montana college tuition is on the rise

Earlier this month, Montana's Board of Regents approved a series of tuition increases for resident and nonresident students on university system campuses over the next two years. For in-state students, that means the cost of higher education will grow 4% per year in 2024 and 2025. For out-of-state graduate and undergraduate students, the increase will be roughly 6%.

As Deputy Commissioner for Budget and Planning Tyler Trevor told regents during their May meeting, the primary factor driving those increases is a new employee pay plan passed by the 2023 Legislature. Trevor noted that the universi...