Executive Vice President of University Life Rose Pascarell speaks at the tuition town hall on March 24 in Merten Hall. (Grace Miller / Fourth Estate)

Proposed tuition and student fees will add $492 to the cost of attendance for undergraduates

BY GRACE MILLER, STAFF WRITER

A $492 increase in undergraduate tuition and fees has been proposed by George Mason administration for fiscal year 2027. 

In a tuition town hall held by Student Government on March 24, Executive Vice President of University Life Rose Pascarell and Interim Chief Financial Officer Dan Stephens explained the changes.  

The proposed tuition increase is $360 for undergraduates and $504 for graduate students, with no increase for the law school. This indicates a 3.5% increase for in-state students, both undergraduate and graduate. It is a 1% increase for out-of-state undergraduates and a 1.4% increase for out-of-state graduate students. 

Student fees are proposed to increase by 3.5% overall, which is $132 for undergraduates and graduates. Stephens said the increase is designed to “keep affordability measures” for both in-state and out-of-state students. 

“It’s going to be done in a very equitable way, which I appreciate about the way we handle our money with tuition alone,” said Declan Rees, a second-year Philosophy major and chair of the Administrative and Financial Affairs Committee for Student Government, which arranged the town hall. 

Even with the proposed increases in tuition, the university will have an operating deficit of about $4 million. The deficit will be covered by the university’s reserve funds, which are mostly composed of unspent state appropriations from previous years. 

Stephens described the university as “fiscally prudent.” 

“We do have [reserves]. We just cannot operate forever [on them],” he said.

The university has been implementing a new budget model initiative to address “consistent overspending” since spring 2025. The FY27 budget is “exploring technology improvements … and refining the model based upon each year of performance,” according to the university’s Fiscal Services.

Va. House bill HB30 sets aside $11 million for George Mason, while Va. Senate bill SB30 allocates $7 million to Mason for FY27. 

“President Washington is constantly advocating in Richmond,” Stephens said. 

Even if the university received $11 million, it would take a 4.5% increase in the in-state tuition rate to balance the budget without dipping into the reserves, according to university figures.  

The increase responds to factors including a lack of state appropriations, rising utility costs, Virginia Military Survivors and Dependents Education Program costs and increases in state-mandated employee benefits.  

At the town hall, Pascarell and Stephens emphasized George Mason’s rank as a top 50 public university, its R1 status and employment rates after graduation. 

“What is amazing about the Mason success story is the fact that all of those accolades… were accomplished by a university that faces significant funding challenges when compared to our peer schools within the state,” Stephens said. 

“Peer schools” refers to public R1 universities in Virginia. Compared to its peer schools, George Mason receives the least funding between tuition, mandatory student fees and state appropriations. George Mason currently receives $10,544 in state appropriations per student for full-time enrollment, compared to Virginia Tech’s $12,212, the next highest peer. 

The highest funded peer, William & Mary, receives $15,510 per student. 

The proposed figures at the town hall are not finalized, as the Board of Visitors will have the final say. 

NEXT STEPS:

• The BOV hosted a public comment session March 31 in Merten 1201 at 9 a.m.
• The Finance and Land Use Committee will meet to assess the tuition increase April 15. The meeting is public and will be livestreamed.
• The full board will hold a final vote on the proposed tuition increase and FY27 budget at their public April 30 meeting.