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Rutgers Board Votes To Increase Tuition By 2.3 Percent

NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. (AP) — Tuition is going up at New Jersey's flagship university for the upcoming school year.

The Rutgers University Board of Governors voted Thursday to raise tuition and fees by 2.3 percent for the 2015-2016 academic year.

The board said the increases are "modest, but necessary" in the face of increasing costs and decreasing operating money from the state. The board also approved a $3.78 billion budget.

The approved increases will raise tuition, fees and room and board to $26,185 for a New Jersey resident enrolled in Rutgers' arts and sciences program in New Brunswick, using the most popular dining plan and living in a traditional residence hall.

In-state students currently pay $10,954 in tuition at Rutgers' school of arts and sciences. That will increase to $11,217 in the upcoming school year.

The board voted to raise undergraduate tuition, fees and room and board by 2.4 percent at the New Brunswick campus, 2.3 percent in Camden and 2.3 percent in Newark.

Comparable charges for a typical undergraduate in Camden will be $14,000 and in Newark $13,597.

The board voted last year to raise tuition by about 2 percent and by 3.3 percent the previous year.

A student group said that the tuition hikes are "particularly unjustified and blatantly unnecessary" in light of increased revenue. Students had called for a tuition freeze.

The board also approved an additional 3.2 percent in student aid in the Rutgers Assistance Grant program, resulting in a total of $32.5 million in 2015-2016.

(© Copyright 2015 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

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