The University of Tennessee's operating budget for the 2025-2026 academic year totals approximately $3.7 billion. Students bear the largest responsibility for funding that budget, contributing approximately $1.20 billion through tuition and fees. Despite this, the university has approved a new differential tuition policy that will charge students studying the natural sciences an additional $175 per credit hour and engineering students an additional $252 per credit hour beginning in the 2026-2027 academic year.

Students were not notified of these new charges until June 2026, leaving many with only a short time to adjust before the start of the fall semester. As a result, some students now face an additional $3,000 to $4,000 in tuition costs due by August 7. These students are forced to take out additional loans or might not be able to afford the cost of another year so close to the start of the semester.

These new charges are expected to generate approximately $34.6 million each year. The university states that this funding will be used to maintain laboratory equipment, improve facilities, and hire additional instructors. While the university has provided these broad goals, the public has not been given a detailed explanation of exactly how their money will be spent. These new fees are expected to affect roughly 20 to 30 percent of all UT Knoxville students, placing a significant financial burden on thousands of students pursuing careers in science, medicine, and engineering.

The University explains that this money is needed to fund programs, yet the university already spends approximately $953.3 million annually on instruction, $447.9 million on scholarships and fellowships, $423.9 million on research, and $413.9 million on academic support. The investment in education is vital; yet, major financial decisions affecting thousands of students should be communicated well in advance and not be so extreme that now some students' fees are higher than their tuition. As science and engineering students get higher in their studies, more of their classes are focused solely on their major, which would lead to an outrageous amount of fees needing to be paid.

We ask the University of Tennessee to not move forward with the implementation of these harsh fees for natural science and engineering courses for future semesters. We also ask the university to provide the public with an intensive breakdown of exactly how their tuition and fee revenue is spent. Finally, we ask the university to provide students with more advance notice before implementing tuition or fee increases so that students and their families have time to financially prepare.

As Volunteers, we love the University of Tennessee, which is why we are signing this petition. Supporting our university also means holding it accountable when policies place a substantial financial burden on students. We believe our fellow students deserve to be heard and given a voice on major policy changes that impact their education and financial future.