Columbus State University students, as well as all other students in the 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.

With the elimination or decrease in some fees at Columbus State University, the move means that overall costs of going to CSU could actually go down for some CSU students next year.

“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 (SREB), 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.

Columbus State University is not among the universities where fees will increase, said CSU President Chris Markwood.

"We are very aware of the burden that college costs can put on students," Markwood said. "I'm very pleased that CSU is addressing this by both decreasing costs and by raising scholarship dollars through our ongoing First Choice fund-raising campaign. The decision this week by the Board of Regents assures CSU's standing as an institution that will be known for its quality and value."

USG also 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 No. 1 in the nation by national publisher OpenStax at Rice University for saving students the most money with free online textbooks.