At its April meeting this week, the regents approved a 9 percent increase in Tech’s full-time in-state student tuition — an addition of $372 for undergraduates and $510 for graduate students per semester. Out-of-state tuition will increase by the same dollar amount as in-state tuition for undergraduates and $135 for graduate students. All mandatory fees will remain unchanged.

In a statement, President Bud Peterson noted that additional revenue will directly benefit institutional needs such as improving student/faculty ratios, extending academic support and student services, and enhancing the Institute’s academic quality.

“While we understand the additional burden this tuition adjustment places on our students and their families, we are committed to continuing to provide the very best education possible and ensure the value of their Georgia Tech degrees, now and in the future,” Peterson said. “Almost all of our degree programs focus on technology in one way or another, and these types of programs are among the most expensive to operate. As a top-10 public university, we are committed to continued excellence, and preserving the value of the degrees that we award to our students.”

A Georgia Tech degree continues to be one of the best investments in higher education. According to its 2014 College ROI Report, PayScale.com ranks Georgia Tech first in the nation when it comes to annual return on investment.

More than 60 percent of all Georgia Tech students receive some form of financial aid. In addition to the HOPE/Zell Miller Scholarship, last year a total of 3,177 students received $17.2 million in scholarships and fellowships funded by endowed and non-endowed programs managed by the Georgia Tech Foundation.