Towson students pay more after state budget cuts increase tuition and fees

By Abigail Evans, Contributing Writer

Towson University’s tuition is being raised for the 2026-27 school year, along with other public colleges in the University System of Maryland.

The USM requires each university to provide enrollment projections for the school year to determine their tuition cost and annual budget. 

Matthew Chambers, the associate provost for administration and finance at Towson, works with artificial research to make enrollment and returning student projections that ultimately get submitted to USM.

“The university is attempting to keep tuition increases as low as possible,” Chambers said. “We’re just doing enough to sort of offset those increases the best we can.”

Towson’s in-state tuition made its way up to $12,690 – a $504 increase from last year. Out-of-state tuition increased by $1,616, totaling $32,948 for the school year. 

This is just under a 4% increase for Towson’s Marylanders and a 5% increase for out-of-state students.

USM’s new $8 billion dollar budget aims to increase revenue to make up for $155 million in reduced funding. This includes an up to 5% increase in tuition and up to a 10% increase in university fees.

Sophomore Sidney Torres said increased fees could mean improved campus experiences.

“I mean, honestly, I don’t really like have an issue with it, as much as I would want to,” she said. “I know that’s going toward trying to make the school better.”

Towson Student Government Association President Rayne Rivera-Forbes, who is also a student regent for the USM, gave her perspective on the rising costs.

“As a student in the school system, no one’s ever happy to see a tuition increase,” she said.

She said she hopes fees and “anything on campus that’s a big pressing matter” will fall right back into funding resources for students.

Towson isn’t the only school affected by the University System’s budget cuts, according to Maryland Matters.

University of Maryland, Baltimore County is also increasing its out-of-state tuition price by 5%. Multiple student fees are rising by 10% at Bowie State University. 

University of Maryland, College Park students face the highest increase of in-state tuition at 4%.

“I hope we see changes,” Rivera-Forbes said. “Not just within higher education, but also within the state of Maryland.”