Metropolitan State University of Denver will keep tuition rates the same for undergraduate students under a tuition lock program the school unveiled this week.

University officials said the move was spurred by skyrocketing inflation.

“Our students are facing tremendous financial challenges right now,” university President Janine Davidson said in a news release. “Many are working multiple jobs just to keep up with rising costs for rent, groceries, gas and other necessities, while also persevering to earn their college degrees. We want them to know that their tuition is one cost that won’t be rising.” 

The program will keep tuition rates the same for the next four years for incoming freshmen. Current students will pay the same tuition for the next three years, and students who transfer to the university will have their tuition locked in for two years, according to the university. 

In-state students who take a full course load of 12 credits pay $3,378 per semester, while out-of-state students pay $10,510. The tuition lock does not apply to fees. 

Jess Figueroa, a first-generation student who is studying communications, hailed the move. She said she works two jobs and will soon begin a third job because of the rising cost of living.

“I drive to campus from Brighton. It’s pricey, to say the least,” she said in a news release. “This (tuition lock) gives me a lot of peace of mind. I know how much I’ll have to pay each semester rather than trying to predict the cost.”

In recent years, the university has rolled out a number of programs to make tuition more affordable, including extending the Roadrunner Promise, which expanded its financial aid program, and introducing new scholarships aimed at Indigenous students. 

Davidson said these programs give students an incentive to graduate in four years.

“The more quickly our students graduate and enter the workforce, the more quickly they’re earning good salaries, shoring up their own financial security and strengthening Colorado’s economy,” Davidson said.