The University of Colorado Board of Regents reviewed preliminary budget scenarios for the 2026-27 fiscal year during a meeting held at CU Boulder on February 5 and 6. Chad Marturano, vice president and chief financial officer for the CU system, presented three potential budget options. These scenarios take into account possible changes in state funding, tuition rates, fees, and employee compensation.
For undergraduate resident tuition, the proposals indicate that new students at CU Boulder could see increases between 2.6% and 4.5%, while continuing students would not experience any increase due to the campus’s tuition guarantee. At CU Denver, undergraduate resident tuition could rise between 2.5% and 4.5%. UCCS is considering increases in the range of 2.6% to 4.5%. Undergraduate nursing tuition at CU Anschutz is projected to increase by 2.4% under all scenarios.
Fee changes will differ among campuses based on local decisions.
The budget plans include proposed pay increases for employees across the university system. Classified staff are set for a statewide-agreed raise of 3.1%. At CU Boulder, there may be either a 3.1% merit pool or an additional pool of up to 0.5% targeting pay compression, retention, and adjustments. For CU Denver employees, all proposals suggest a combined merit and adjustment pool of 2.75%, provided certain revenue goals are met. Compensation plans at UCCS remain under discussion pending further campus-level deliberations; meanwhile, CU Anschutz proposes a merit pool increase of 2.5%, with an extra amount ranging from 0.6% to 1% for other pay adjustments.
Minimum hourly wage rates for most staff and student workers are expected to stay steady or see small increases depending on campus policies.
University officials highlighted ongoing challenges in budgeting such as uncertain government funding levels, enrollment trends, competitive compensation concerns, inflation-related cost hikes, increased demand for student aid and support services, deferred maintenance needs, and information technology requirements.
Enrollment projections vary across campuses: overall enrollment at CU Boulder is expected to grow by about 1.3% in fall 2026; CU Denver anticipates a modest increase of approximately 0.6%; UCCS expects enrollment to decline by around 1.3%; while CU Anschutz projects growth of about 3.6%.
During the meeting’s strategic planning update segment led by Marturano and Lynn Vidler (provost at UCCS), regents were briefed on progress including results from a recent constituent survey as Phase Three concludes this week with key performance metrics identified—such as graduation rates and research totals—to continue from the first strategic plan cycle.
The next stages involve synthesizing input through April before finalizing priorities later this spring; implementation will proceed through May into autumn.
Six members of the latest Distinguished Professors cohort—Kristen Carpenter, Russell Cropanzano, Marcia Douglas, Noah Finkelstein, Karl Linden and Jade Morton—were formally recognized during the session by Chancellor Justin Schwartz who presented official awards on behalf of the board: “The Distinguished Professor title is CU’s highest honor for faculty.” The seventh member from this group will be honored later this year.
Additionally, regents passed a memorial resolution honoring former Regent Henry F. “Hank” Anton Jr., who died in December at age eighty-eight after serving both as board chair and as an alumnus awarded with one of the university’s top honors—the University Medal—in recognition of his service.
