Students at South Dakota trade schools can expect a hike in tuition. The move, considered by the state Board of Technical Education, would be the first raise in three years.
Tuition freezes have been the norm in South Dakota’s university and trade school systems for a while now, but it looks like that era may be ending.
Nick Wendell is the board executive director. He presented the budget request for the upcoming fiscal year at the board' meeting Thursday.
“We, of course, work with the presidents to identify system-wide priorities," Wendell said. "Factoring in enrollment patterns and increased expenses and projecting where expenses will be next year as we narrow a long list of priorities into what we ask you to consider for approval today tied to the FY26 budget.”
Wendell said the tuition and fees are going up to reinvest in the systems staff.
“We are requesting an additional $3 in tuition assistance, that we would match with a potential $3 increase in the state tuition rate to accommodate a 3% salary policy in FY26," Wendell said. "Based on our current credit generation, we’re anticipating it would cost us approximately $6 per credit hour to fulfill a 3% salary policy in FY26.”
In total, that means a recommendation of $13 per credit hour in the next fiscal year. He adds that trade schools might not be the only ones with rising bills.
“We’re not anticipating a tuition freeze request coming from the Regents, we of course aren’t putting one forward, so I don’t know that there’s an appetite to have a model or mechanism similar to what we’ve seen in recent fiscal years," Wendell said. "I think we both recognize the need to address salary policy in one way or another, and I think the Regents are identifying a similar model.”
However, he said the board hopes to divide the financial burden between the state and students.