The sticker price for college in Idaho will go up this fall — by roughly $300 for in-state undergraduates.

On Friday, the State Board of Education unanimously approved a set of tuition and fee increases for Idaho’s four-year schools.

Boise State University, the University of Idaho, Idaho State University and Lewis-Clark State College will use the money largely to cover state-approved pay raises and to offset inflation.

And while Friday’s meeting was relatively seamless, board member Linda Clark also described the push and pull that took place behind the scenes. She said the schools proposed larger increases that would address more needs on campus — but the board also weighed the impacts on students and parents.

“It was sort of a balancing act,” she said.

For in-state undergraduate students, tuition and fees will increase by about 3.5% across the board.

Increases will vary for the state’s graduate schools — ranging from 1% at Idaho State to 3.5% at Boise State and LC State. Here’s what in-state students can expect.

Here’s the bottom line for out-of-state undergrads.

Staff salaries drove much of Friday’s discussion.

This year, the Legislature approved raises of up to $1.55 per hour for all state employees, including higher ed staff and faculty. But while the Legislature mandates raises, the state doesn’t fully fund them. They expect colleges and universities to use tuition and fees to make up the difference.

For example, the U of I needs to come up with about $1.75 million to cover the balance of its raises. About $750,000 of that will come from the tuition increase.

But salaries and benefits aren’t the only pressure point facing higher ed. In written presentations to the State Board, the four-year schools also said they are struggling with inflation — affecting budgets both large and small.

Boise State offered a host of examples. The cost of electrical contract labor has soared by 249% over five years. Health insurance premiums, a perennial cost driver, are up 33% over four years. Even the cost of toilet paper has gone up 86% over five years.

The schools also say they are feeling the aftereffects of a tuition freeze, which the college and university presidents imposed from 2020 to 2022. The freeze means tuition revenue has not kept up with inflation.

The U of I and Idaho State both said their cumulative tuition increases come to about 2.1% per year over six years. In that same time period, the U of I noted, the consumer price index has climbed by 4.9% annually.

College and university officials noted that their sticker price remains low, compared to peer institutions. State Board President Kurt Liebich praised Idaho’s higher ed affordability — but said the cost increases are “necessary” for the health of schools facing financial pressures that haven’t been seen since the 1970s.

“Inflation is real,” he said.

Shinn named Boise State interim president

In other business, the State Board officially named a short-term successor to Boise State President Marlene Tromp.

Jeremiah Shinn, Boise State’s vice president of student affairs and enrollment management, will begin the job on May 11. The board named Shinn last week, pending formal approval.

Shinn will take the president’s helm while the State Board finds a permanent successor to Tromp, who is taking the president’s job at the University of Vermont. Tromp’s last day at Boise State is May 10.

Shinn will receive a $449,000-per-year salary, compared to Tromp’s $473,449 salary.

Shinn is not applying for the job on a permanent basis.