Flint, Michigan – At a time when many colleges are still counting empty seats and tightening belts, the University of Michigan-Flint is moving into the next fiscal year with something different: momentum.
The university’s 2026-27 general fund budget will rise to $151.7 million after approval by the University of Michigan Board of Regents on June 25, marking a $13.3 million increase from the previous year. That equals 9.6% growth, a jump UM-Flint says is tied largely to a third straight year of enrollment gains, with more growth expected in the year ahead.
For a campus that has spent years working to sharpen its identity, the numbers carry more than budget meaning. They point to students choosing Flint, families buying into the value of a local public university, and administrators now having more room to invest instead of simply manage pressure.
“This budget is a direct reflection of the confidence students and families are placing in a UM-Flint education,” Chancellor Laurence B. Alexander said.
“Enrollment growth of this magnitude creates real opportunity — to invest in our people, expand our academic offerings and ensure that the momentum we’ve built continues to benefit every member of our community.”
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The spending plan covers the fiscal year that begins July 1. It projects $27 million in state support, the same amount as FY 2026, though that figure will not be final until Michigan’s state budget is completed in the coming weeks.
Students will also see higher costs. Tuition and fees for in-state undergraduates will increase 4.1%, bringing the most common lower-division rate to $8,135 per semester. Most graduate programs will see a 4% increase. Housing and meal plan rates will rise 5%, with First Street Residence Hall, including the required meal plan, starting at $11,943 per year.
University leaders say the new money will go toward a salary program for faculty and staff, new and expanding academic programs, strategic planning, infrastructure work, deferred maintenance, operational costs, required cost increases and student aid.
“Our enrollment growth isn’t an accident — it’s the result of sustained investment in programs and people that serve our students well,” Alexander said. “This budget lets us build on that foundation by supporting the faculty and staff who make UM-Flint exceptional, while positioning us to meet the needs of students in the years ahead.”
Even with the increases, UM-Flint says its tuition remains the fourth lowest among Michigan’s 15 public universities, while its housing rates are the lowest among the state’s public institutions. That affordability point may become one of the campus’s strongest selling cards as the new budget year begins.