After a year of heated student advocacy for a lower increase in tuition and fees, the University’s Board of Trustees approved Friday a 4.7 percent increase for continuing undergraduates.

New students will face a higher tuition hike than continuing students. The Board approved a 5.9 percent increase for new students, putting their tuition at $21,590, almost $300 more than for current GW students.

The increase brings tuition for current undergraduates to $21,320 – $950 more than last year’s figure. An additional $1,035 University fee and a 4 percent increase in room and board for on-campus undergraduates puts the total price of a GW education at $29,975 for continuing students.

GW President Stephen Joel Trachtenberg said this year’s increase will go toward further advancing the University’s technology initiatives and increasing financial aid payout.

“The high cost of state-of-the-art technology is a major force now driving up the price of education throughout the country,” Trachtenberg said. “It’s expensive, but we are committed to providing our students with the state-of-the art in preparing them for life and work in the next century.”

Law school tuition will increase 4 percent, down almost 2 percent from last year’s hike. Total graduate tuition and fees will rise 3.9 percent.

“Just as it’s a sin to raise tuition, it’s a blunder not to raise it high enough to give people what they want. That’s the fine line we walk,” Trachtenberg said. “You need the money to provide the services.

Further coverage of next year’s tuition increase will be available in Tuesday’s edition of The GW Hatchet.