ITHACA, N.Y. -- At its meetings in New York City Friday, Jan. 21, and Saturday, Jan. 22, the Cornell University Board of Trustees approved a set of planning parameters for the 2005-06 budget that calls for a 4.3 percent tuition increase for most students in the endowed colleges. The 4.3 percent increase sets tuition for Cornell's endowed undergraduate and Graduate School students at $31,300 for the 2005-06 academic year. Currently, the tuition is $30,000.

The approved planning parameters also call for essentially the same dollar increase for New York state residents enrolled in Cornell's contract colleges: an increase of $1,330, to $17,200, for academic year 2005-06. Undergraduate tuition for nonresident students enrolled in the contract colleges is planned for 2005-06 at $30,200 for entering and second-year students, and at $29,000 for third- and fourth-year students. Consultation with the State University of New York (SUNY) trustees will take place before these tuitions are finalized.

"Cornell continues to face significant financial pressure from declining state appropriations, rising labor and utilities costs, and the increasing costs of ensuring academic excellence in a competitive environment," said Provost Biddy Martin. "We continue to try to keep tuition increases as low as possible; and we remain committed to our longstanding need-blind admissions policy and will continue to assist students and families in financial need by appropriately adjusting our institutional student financial-aid allocations."

Ithaca campus professional school tuition and other fees for 2005-06 approved by the trustees are:

• Johnson Graduate School of Management: Tuition was increased by 5.7 percent to $36,350. Summer tuition for the 12-month option was increased by 5.5 percent to $22,050.
• Cornell Law School: Tuition for entering students was increased by 7 percent to $37,750. For continuing students, tuition increased 4.9 percent to $37,000 for second-year students and $36,280 for third-year students. For the one-year LL.M. program, tuition was increased by 9.5 percent to $39,530.
• Veterinary Medicine: Tuition for resident students was increased by 7.3 percent to $22,000. Tuition for nonresident students was increased by 8.6 percent to $31,500.
• Undergraduate student activity fees were not increased, as recommended by the Student Assembly.
• Graduate and professional student activity fees also were not increased, as recommended by the Graduate and Professional Student Assembly.
• Undergraduate housing rates (double room average) were increased by 3.5 percent to an average of $6,080.
• The full-plan dining contract was increased by 4 percent to $4,170.