Austin Peay board establishes in-state rate for all military-affiliated students, their families

By: Ethan Steinquest June 10, 2024

The Newton Military Family Resource Center at APSU is Tennessee’s largest military student center. | Photo by Sean McCully

CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. — Austin Peay State University’s Board of Trustees approved in-state tuition rates for all military-affiliated students during its quarterly meeting on Friday, June 7.

This benefit applies to active-duty military personnel, veterans, reservists, National Guard members and their eligible family members across the U.S. and overseas, reflecting Austin Peay’s longstanding commitment to the military community.

Austin Peay is the state’s largest higher education provider to military-affiliated students, with over 27% of its students having a military connection. The university also houses the 5,200-square-foot Newton Military Family Resource Center – Tennessee's largest military student center.

The university recently reduced its military student graduate-level tuition to the Federal Tuition Assistance rate of $250 per credit hour, saving uniformed military graduate students more than $600 per course.

Austin Peay’s new Military and Veterans Affairs Division also includes offices and resource centers, such as the Austin Peay Center at Fort Campbell and the Military Transition Career Program, to help military-affiliated students maximize their educational benefits.

The Tennessee Higher Education Commission honored the university’s support of the military population by naming Austin Peay a Veterans Education Transition Support (VETS) Campus. In addition, Austin Peay is home to the state’s first Institute for National Security and Military Studies, which oversees educational programs, military outreach activities and interdisciplinary research on national security, intelligence and military life.

During its meeting, the board also voted to adopt a 4% increase in undergraduate and graduate tuition and mandatory fees starting in Fall 2024.

The revenue from the increase will enhance student experiences and address rising expenses. The increase is lower than the 5.5% maximum approved by the Tennessee Higher Education Commission for the upcoming semester, and Austin Peay has the second-lowest undergraduate and graduate tuition rate among Tennessee's public universities.

Austin Peay has taken steps to mitigate the impact of the increase in undergraduate tuition by introducing new scholarships and increasing existing awards. Students who registered for the fall semester before June 2024 have also had their tuition locked in at last year’s rate. The university is committed to providing students with resources to keep costs low while planning their future.

The full meeting agenda and materials can be viewed here. For more information about the APSU board of trustees, click here.