FAIRFAX, Va. – The George Mason University Board of Visitors on Thursday voted to issue credits to in-state undergraduate students equal to the 3 percent tuition increase the board had previously approved for the current academic year.
The decision comes despite several factors that have made Mason disproportionately impacted by the effects of such a reversion, and after extensive discussions with the Youngkin Administration.
“Mason has always championed the ideal of holding tuition for students as low as possible,” said Mason President Gregory Washington. “That is why the Board of Visitors froze undergraduate tuition for last year. And they did so despite operating in the most costly and competitive market in Virginia, and despite the fact that Mason has for years received substantially less funding per student than any of our fellow four-year doctoral universities in Virginia.”
Mason will apply the fall tuition credit in mid-November to in-state undergraduates. Fall credit balances will apply against spring charges, except for Title IV recipients or students who do not return for spring. Those students will receive refunds starting in November, through the end of January. The spring credit will post along with spring tuition charges.
“This year’s original increase was the result of a careful effort to strike a balance between maintaining a quality experience for students while limiting the economic impact on Virginia families,” said Horace Blackman, Rector of the Mason Board of Visitors. “Mason will now work to rebalance operations based on this new cut, with our commitment to minimize negative impacts to the community.”
The credits, equal to $285 for fulltime students, will be prorated for those currently enrolled in fewer than six or more than 15 credit hours. The credits will effectively bring in-state undergraduate tuition levels back to $9,510 for this year, down from the previously approved $9,768. The board-approved credit creates a total budget shortfall for Mason of about $5.8 million for the current fiscal year.