Baylor Regents Approve Tuition Hike, Launch Major Scholarship Initiative

WACO, Texas — Baylor University‘s board of Regents made critically important decisions at its February meeting, impacting tuition, scholarships, and academic programs, all in alignment with the university’s five-year strategic plan, “Baylor in Deeds.”

the regents approved a tuition increase for the 2025-26 academic year, coupled with a considerable new scholarship initiative and the addition of two new academic degrees. President Linda Livingstone emphasized the regents’ commitment to the strategic plan, stating, “the regents took several steps to ensure we’re laying a foundation for the aggressive implementation of our new strategic plan, baylor in Deeds,“

A central element of the meeting was the launch of the “Extend the Line” scholarship initiative, aiming to raise $250 million by 2030.Board of Regents chair dr. William E. Mearse underscored the board’s dedication, stating, “The board is fully committed to Baylor in terms of being stewards of our Christian mission, as well as fiduciaries –– as well as advocates –– for our students, our faculty, our governance, our alumni and all the Baylor family,” He further noted that board members will actively participate in fundraising efforts.

The tuition increase, while acknowledged as a challenging decision, is designed to support the expanded scholarship funding. Livingstone explained, “increasing tuition and fees is never an easy decision for our university administration and the board of regents. We take it very seriously, and there is always a lot of thoughtful and crucial discussion.” The projected average net out-of-pocket increase for incoming students is $2,255 in tuition and fees, raising the total from $58,100 to $63,620. Though, Livingstone stressed that this “sticker price” rarely reflects the actual cost for students due to extensive financial aid and scholarships. Over 90% of students receive some form of financial aid, including a $5 million increase in scholarship funding for returning students facing financial hardship and the continuation of the Baylor Benefit Scholarship for students with an adjusted household income of $50,000 or less.

Livingstone provided context for the tuition increase, stating, “When you compare our tuition to private schools of similar [U.S.] News and World Report rankings, we are an astonishing value with our tuition level sitting near the bottom of that list,“

The “Extend the Line” program is designed to provide flexibility in allocating scholarship funds, according to Livingstone, who added, “The ‘Extend the Line’ program is designed for people to have a choice about where they allocate their scholarship dollars.We certainly want there to be as much flexibility as possible,so we can use those scholarship dollars to be most helpful to our students.“

Academically, the board approved two new degree programs: a bachelor of Science in aerospace engineering within the School of Engineering and Computer Science, and a Bachelor of Beliefs in Great Texts within the Honors College. Livingstone expressed enthusiasm for these additions, stating, “We’re very excited about this. It’s been identified as a priority growth area under Baylor in Deeds.” Baylor aims to cultivate relationships with industry leaders like L3Harris and SpaceX through the new aerospace engineering program.Livingstone noted, “Along with all the aerospace activities across the state of Texas and in this region, we certainly hope to partner with those entities in this process,“

The regents also approved new fees for the Baylor Energy Complex (BEC), allocating $8 million to assess the next steps for a new complex. Mearse explained, “What we approved this week was an exploration on what the next steps are. It will be a significant investment and significant cost.” Additionally, an extra $25 million was approved for Phase II of the Kokernot Residence Hall renovations, continuing Baylor’s plan to renovate all ten existing residence halls, with completion scheduled for July 2026.

In closing, Livingstone highlighted the university’s forward-looking approach amidst challenges in higher education, stating, “The meeting is happening at a time of the year –– and a time in our history –– that there is a lot of stress and uncertainty in higher education. So we as a university and the board are certainly focused on Baylor’s future as a Christian [R1] university with a transformational educational experience.“