Georgia Tech FY26 Budget Focuses on Growth, Fiscal Discipline
This spring, the University System of Georgia (USG) Board of Regents (BOR) approved $51.3 million in new state appropriations for Georgia Tech’s fiscal year 2026 budget. This 10% increase from last year’s state appropriations is primarily driven by enrollment growth funding. In addition, the BOR approved a systemwide 2% out-of-state tuition increase and a 3% tuition increase for out-of-country students for the upcoming fiscal year. For Georgia Tech, in-state tuition rates will remain steady for FY26, ensuring continued affordability for Georgia residents.
“We are thankful to the Board of Regents and the state of Georgia for their support of higher education and Georgia Tech,” said Tricia Chastain, executive vice president for Administration and Finance (A&F). “While this funding positions us to continue advancing our mission, we are entering FY26 with a fiscally cautious mindset given the uncertainties at the federal level and how those may affect our funding — especially our research enterprise.”
In total, Georgia Tech is projecting $57.2 million in new allocable funding on account of increases in state appropriations, undergraduate enrollment, and tuition. Due to the need to reserve funds to safeguard against unexpected shortfalls in revenue, the Institute’s executive leadership team has made the challenging but necessary decision to centrally reserve a significant portion of this new revenue to allow for adaptive financial planning throughout the year. In alignment with Tech’s commitment to student success and institutional priorities, limited funding was released to support strategic growth, with a focus on instruction and infrastructure.
The Institute has allocated $2.1million to support a limited merit pay program being implemented systemwide by the USG for the September payroll. This program is designed to recognize many high-performing faculty and staff, with eligibility limited to 15% of employees and pay increases of no more than 4%. Unit leaders will notify eligible recipients this month. More information is available on the Georgia Tech Human Resources website.
Looking ahead, the campus community is invited to attend A&F Connects (formerly known as A&F Town Hall) on Tuesday, Aug. 19, from 2 to 3 p.m., to learn more about Georgia Tech’s FY26 budget, federal funding sensitivities, and the USG’s Merit Pay Program. This will be a hybrid event, and more information will be shared closer to the date.