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Guaranteed Tuition Rate

Guaranteed Tuition Rate Program

The Oklahoma Legislature passed a law (House Bill 3397) requiring that new students be given the opportunity to choose to participate in the Guaranteed Tuition Rate Program. This guaranteed tuition rate is based on the projected average for the next four (4) year’s annual rate.

By law, the guaranteed rate cannot exceed 115% of the non-guaranteed undergraduate tuition rate charged to resident students enrolling for the first time for the same academic year.

The tuition block rate for 2025-26 is $254 an hour.

The guaranteed annual rate is available only to students meeting the following criteria:

  1. Must be a first-time entering student (freshman or a transfer student who elected for tuition lock previously)

  2. Must be an Oklahoma Resident

  3. Must be a full-time student continuously completing 12 hours each semester

  4. Graduate within 4 years (8 regular semesters).

  5. Must enroll in the Guaranteed Tuition Rate Program by the last day to add classes for their first semester as a new freshman at USAO.

It is a student’s responsibility to register for the Guaranteed Tuition Rate Program by the deadline. All incoming students are automatically placed on the regular tuition rate schedule when they are admitted.

Important Considerations

  1. The guaranteed tuition rate lock does not cover fees, which are subject to change each year.

  2. The Guaranteed Tuition Rate Program may not be elected by a student concurrently enrolled in high school and college courses.

  3. The Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education (OSHRE) policy states that students who receive tuition waivers do not have the option of choosing the locked tuition rate.

  4. The Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education (OSHRE) policy states that students who receive Oklahoma’s Promise do not have the option of choosing the locked tuition rate.

  5. A student electing to participate in the Guaranteed Tuition Rate Program will not be eligible for any refunds associated with rate differences between the guaranteed tuition rate and the annual tuition rate even if eligibility is forfeited or if the Guaranteed Tuition Rate Program costs the participants more than the annual rate charges would have cost.

  6. If a student withdraws for military or national defense emergences, they can re-enter and pay the original guaranteed tuition rate if they originally chose this lock option as a first-time student.

  7. It is not guaranteed that students choosing the guaranteed rate will pay less over the course of four years. Cost savings depend on yearly tuition increases (if any), the number of hours in which the student enrolls each year, and the successful completion of the degree within 8 regular semesters.

  8. A student who chooses to participate in the Guaranteed Tuition Rate Program and decides to cancel, the cancellation must be made before 5:00 p.m. on the last day to drop classes.

Automatic Removal from Tuition Lock Program

  1. If a student drops below full-time status in a given semester (excluding summer), s/he will automatically revert to the block or hourly rate for subsequent semesters.

Once a student has cancelled their lock rate, they cannot re-enter the program.

Historical Tuition Rates

Academic Year
 Tuition Rate Per Hour
% Increase from Prior Year
Guaranteed Tuition Rate Per Hour
2021-22
$213 0% $244
2022-23
$221
4%
$254
2023-24
$221
0% $254
2024-25
$221
0% $254
2025-26
$221
0% $254