KNOXVILLE, TENN. — The University of Tennessee-Knoxville Campus Advisory Board approved a proposed $2.53 billion budget for the 2026-27 academic year at its Tuesday meeting in Knoxville, Tennessee. The proposal now moves to the UT Board of Trustees for final consideration at its June meeting.

Under the proposed budget, in-state undergraduate tuition would remain unchanged, while out-of-state undergraduate tuition would increase by 5.1%. Mandatory fees would increase by $148 for in-state students and $174 for out-of-state students. Campus officials said the university sets in-state tuition rates to prioritize affordability, while out-of-state rates are adjusted based on competition with other universities.

The proposal also would raise the minimum wage for regular employees from $15 to $18 an hour, effective July 1. About 400 employees currently make less than $18 an hour, including facilities workers, landscaping staff and campus housing employees.

Mia Romano, a UT professor and chair of the United Campus Workers Tennessee State Steering Committee, said the wage proposal followed an extended advocacy effort. "It involved a lot of meetings, a lot of pushing petitions around, [being] very active at campus rallies to bring the issue to the forefront for folks who don't know what's going on in these people's lives. Only making 15 an hour does not cut it here in Knoxville," she said.

Romano described the workers who would be affected by the wage increase. "It's for facilities folks, it's for landscaping, it's for people who work in the dorms, like the housekeepers — these folks often are the ones also working the game days on campus and keeping the stadium looking great for both students and the thousands of people who come to UT," she said.