UVI to charge undergrads 56% more tuition starting Spring 2027

Starting in Spring 2027, the University of the Virgin Islands will impose a sharp rise in costs for full-time undergraduates attending traditional on-campus classes, with fees jumping by roughly 56 percent across all residency categories.

In-territory students will see their semester bill climb from $2,650 to $4,125, a jump of $1,475. Caribbean residents will pay $7,218.75 instead of $4,638, while those from outside the region face a move from $7,950 to $12,421.95.

UVI attributed the move to mounting instructional and operating costs, saying the extra income is essential to sustain academic offerings and campus services. The increase affects only full-time undergraduates in traditional courses; per-credit rates will remain unchanged.

President Dr. Safiya George acknowledged that news of the increase should have reached students and families much earlier. The Board had approved the tuition structure in June 2026, but the university did not release specific dollar amounts until now.

"We understand that any increase in the cost of a college education can create real concerns for our students and their families," George said. "We recognize that the June 2026 Board action clarifying the full-time, on-the-ground tuition rates for Spring 2027 should have been communicated sooner, and we apologize for the delay."

George noted that the university had been occupied with accreditation work and financial audits during the months between the Board decision and now. UVI currently holds accreditation while under Show Cause status from the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, and submitted its required compliance report on September 1.

Per-credit tuition will stay put: undergraduate charges remain $275 for in-territory, $481.25 for Caribbean and $828.13 for out-of-territory students. Graduate per-credit fees hold at $500 for in-territory, $875 for Caribbean and $952.47 for out-of-territory students.

To help offset the burden, UVI is expanding financial aid options. The university is urging students to submit scholarship applications by November 1 and to file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid by the same deadline. The scholarship committee will convene to match available funds with student need and eligibility.

Student leaders on both campuses acknowledged the financial strain while backing efforts to secure aid. Shandley Raphael, president of the Student Government Association on the Orville E. Kean Campus, said he grasped student concerns but recognised the institution's need to remain viable. R'daejah Milligan, SGA president on the Albert A. Sheen Campus, called on students to stay engaged with financial-aid resources and scholarships.