CHICAGO, Ill. — The University of Illinois today announced guaranteed tuition rates for first-time students entering in the 2009-10 school year at its campuses in Urbana-Champaign, Chicago and Springfield. The tuition was approved by the Board of Trustees at an Executive Committee meeting in Chicago.

Tuition for new Illinois resident undergraduate students will rise by 2.6 percent, which is equivalent over four years to a 1 percent annual increase, for fiscal 2010 (July 1, 2009-June 30, 2010). By law, the tuition for each entering class is fixed for the ensuing four years.

At the Urbana-Champaign campus, the base tuition increase in dollar terms is $121 per semester to $4,742. At the Chicago campus, the increase is $106 per semester to $4,171. At the Springfield campus, the tuition increase is $6.25 per credit hour to $246.75.

For the great majority of undergraduate students at the U of I’s three campuses, there will be no change from last year’s tuition. Returning undergraduate students will pay the same tuition as they did last year under the state’s four-year tuition guarantee. The tuition of first-time Illinois undergraduates entering fall semester 2009 will remain at this year’s level for the students’ four years at all of the U of I campuses.

The original board agenda item called for a 4 percent tuition increase for fiscal 2010. After considerable discussion, Trustee Francis G. Carroll proposed an amended item calling for the 2.6 percent increase. Only the three members of the board’s executive committee were eligible to vote, and Chairman Niranjan S. Shah and Robert F. Vickrey joined Carroll and voted unanimously for the amended item.

Trustees at their January meeting in Chicago set 2009-10 school year room-and-board charges and most fees (http://www.uillinois.edu/our/news/2009/jan15.students.cfm).

University President B. Joseph White said that while a tuition increase was necessary, the trustees and the administration were cognizant of the toll the troubled economy has taken on the state’s economy and its citizens.

“In my discussion with state legislators about operating funds for 2009-10, I said we would do our best to minimize as much as possible this year’s tuition increase for students and their families,” White said. “The more modest tuition increase for 2009-10 will help us maintain academic excellence and increase financial aid.”

White said plans for the 2009-10 school year are to manage conservatively and to be prepared for funding reductions and redirections.