University of Rhode Island President David M. Dooley remains optimistic about tuition prices at URI despite Tuesday night's approval of a tuition increase at public institutions of higher education in Rhode Island for the 2012-13 academic year. The Rhode Island Board of Governors for Higher Education approved a 9.5 percent tuition increase for in-state students, which could raise tuition from $9,824 to $10,757. Paired with a 2 percent increase for out-of-state students, who could pay as much $26,430 next year, the decision will affect more than 13,000 undergraduate students. However, Dooley said these figures could change by next spring. The tuition increase, which is greater than URI's anticipated 8.5 percent raise, could be lowered if the university was to receive more financial support from the state. In order for this to happen, the state has two options: find more funding from within their revenues report, or take money from other funding sources to allocate toward higher education, Dooley said.
