Higher education officials said it was necessary to fill the roughly $46.5 million budget shortfall. That was mostly caused by state legislature-mandated staff raises with one-time funding. KUNR interviewed UNR President Brian Sandoval about the legislation nearly two years ago, and he warned the money would need to come from somewhere, including student fees, hiring freezes, or furloughs.
The vote on Friday put students and staff against each other. During the more than two hours of public comment, Ratchanya Dev Chinnappan, president of the UNR Graduate Student Association, said many are already struggling.
“How can NSHE leadership justify a permanent fee increase on students simply because one time funding is not being renewed? Students are already paying for college in an economy where rent increases, health insurance costs rise, and basic living expenses keep climbing. Higher education should be a pathway to opportunity, not a financial trap,” Dev Chinnappan said.
UNR students have previously told KUNR that tuition costs have contributed to their dropping out or moving back in with their parents.
NSHE officials argued that the budget hole put 317 jobs at risk. Jennifer McClendon, chair of the UNR Faculty Senate, said those cuts would diminish services and education quality.
“This shows up immediately for students. Larger classes, less feedback, fewer mentoring relationships, and required courses that are harder to access. Faculty are pushed into crushing overloads. With fewer faculty, research activity declines, that means fewer grants, tutoring, library resources,” McClendon said.
Officials acknowledged that tuition costs in Nevada are on the lower end compared to the rest of the country.
The Board of Regents, more than a third of whom are up for re-election this year, approved a 12% increase spread over three years for universities and upper-division courses, and a 9% increase for lower-division courses at community colleges. The increase will take effect in the 2026-2027 school year.
Vice chair Stephanie Goodman, who voted yes, apologized.
“I feel for you, and I'm sorry. I’m sorry we’ve come to this, but I promise you, I will go up to the legislature, and I will fight to make sure, and I know all of my colleagues will do so as well, to see how we can mitigate these dollars and at least get something back for all of this,” Goodman said.
But that won’t happen until 2027, when the legislature reconvenes.
As a note of disclosure, KUNR staff are UNR employees.
