UNO’s 2026-27 tuition update will hit fall planning for students and families

UNO has posted updated 2026-27 tuition and course-cost information for the academic year beginning in August—including differential tuition charges that can affect what some students and families need to budget for fall. The biggest “watch list” is UNO’s course-based differential tuition, which applies to specific programs and classes—not every student.

UNO also says the updated student account calculations won’t be available for viewing until they’re loaded in MavLINK no later than July 22, and that the changes won’t affect students enrolled in summer courses.

System-wide baseline: the NU Board of Regents approved a 4.25% increase

For the University of Nebraska system, a higher-ed affordability headline is already set: the University of Nebraska Board of Regents approved a 4.25% tuition increase for the 2026-27 academic year. UNO’s own 2026-27 update is part of the broader system cost context that students will plan around as they move into fall schedules.

What “differential tuition” means at UNO

UNO says most courses follow the standard tuition rate, but some programs and classes add an additional cost called “differential tuition.” UNO describes it as helping support specialized instruction, labs, equipment, clinical experiences, research opportunities, and other hands-on learning components.

Importantly for budgeting, UNO emphasizes that differential tuition:

• does not apply to all students or all courses;
• applies only to specific programs or classes; and
• is course- and program-based, not semester-based.

Which UNO programs and courses are listed

UNO’s differential tuition page lists the following 2026-2027 updates. Families and students can use this as a checklist against an intended fall enrollment plan:

• Aviation: resident rate for on-campus undergraduate courses
• College of Business Administration: all CBA courses
• Criminal Justice: resident rate for both online and on-campus undergraduate courses
• Pre-Health (BIOL): resident and non-resident rates for both online and on-campus undergraduate BIOL courses that are required within pre-health degree pathways
• Psychology: resident rate for both online and on-campus undergraduate and graduate courses
• Social Work: resident rate for online and on-campus undergraduate courses, plus graduate online courses
• Speech Language Pathology: resident rate for both online and on-campus graduate courses

Timing: summer stays the same, but fall planning should be ready by July 22

UNO says the tuition changes it references apply to the 2026-2027 academic year beginning in August, and it should not affect students enrolled in summer courses.

For fall planning, the practical deadline is when students’ updated charges are reflected in their accounts: UNO says student accounts will be calculated and made available in MavLINK no later than July 22. That means families who need clarity on what their student schedule will cost should plan to review MavLINK once the update posts—rather than assuming what’s shown earlier in summer will match fall.

What students and families can do now

With differential tuition applying only to certain programs and classes, the most useful next step is to compare an intended fall schedule (or planned program track) against UNO’s list above. Then, when MavLINK account calculations update by July 22, students can verify what their exact course mix means for their bill.

If questions come up about costs, aid, or how to interpret updated charges, UNO’s Office of Financial Support and Scholarships provides a central entry point for help, including appointment scheduling for current students and contact options for prospective students.

Sources

• UNO Accounting Services — Differential Tuition (2026-2027) and timing guidance
• University of Nebraska Board of Regents — June meeting update (includes 4.25% 2026-27 tuition increase item)
• Omaha.com — Updates to UNO tuition and course costs for 2026-27