Incoming Ohio State University student Aaron Foster, on campus Tuesday for his freshman orientation, knew he needed a game plan to handle the costs of college tuition. He and his parents cut a deal: He'll be on the hook for half, his folks will pick up the rest.

"It's a lot of money to me, because I haven't really dealt with money throughout my life, so far," the 17-year-old from Cincinnati said.

He plans to hold down a job to help with the costs while studying for his bachelor's degree. But, he said, things would be easier if his tuition costs didn't have the potential to change midway through his studies. Things would be easier if he had the peace of mind of a set tuition price.

Things just got easier for Aaron.

The Ohio State University board of trustees voted Tuesday to increase the cost of tuition and fees for incoming freshman this fall, then hold those rates steady for the remainder of that class’s four years of study.

The tuition hike is part of a guaranteed tuition plan that shatters a five-year freeze on tuition and fees for all in-state undergraduates at $10,037 since the 2012-13 school year. This new plan that locks tuition and fee costs for undergraduate students through a four-year period will not only apply to this year’s incoming freshman class, but to all subsequent incoming classes.

The university proposed the plan to offer incoming students and their families a level of transparency when planning for the costs of a four-year college education, university officials said.

"We think the predictability is great for families," Ohio State University President Michael Drake said. "They know what it is now, and they know what it will be in the next four years."

The new plan includes a 5.5 percent tuition increase for first-year Ohio students in the upcoming 2017-2018 school year, but then guarantees to lock tuition at the Columbus campus at $10,591 annually for four years.

Tuition and fees for the freshman class in the 2018-19 school year would increase only by the rate of inflation. Subsequent freshman classes would increase further only if the General Assembly raised the tuition cap and the university chose to exceed the inflation rate.

The tuition rate will remain locked at $10,037 for presently enrolled in-state sophomores, juniors and seniors.

Under the state's new budget, four-year universities can raise the tuition by up to 6 percent, if they participate in the tuition guarantee program.

Ohio State joins several other universities in the state with similar tuition plans, including Ohio University and Miami University.

The OSU trustees also voted to include housing and dining in the guarantee. Under the the new plan, housing will increase 6 percent for both incoming and continuing students for the 2017-18 school year. Dining will increase 3 percent. Like tuition, though, both rates will hold for a period of four years.

The trustees also approved alterations to two student-aid programs.

First, the university will add $25 million to its President’s Affordability Grant program to provide more need-based financial aid to about 15,000 lower- and middle-income Ohio students. Two years ago, the program pledged to commit $100 million over five years. In its first year, it provided about $15 million to more than 12,400 students. Officials said they expect the three-year total to hit $60 million next year.

The university also will expand its Land Grant Opportunity Scholarships award program from covering only tuition and fees to covering the total cost of attendance, $26,792 for the 2017-18 school year. Those scholarships are currently available to one student in each of the state’s 88 counties. The proposal would double the number of annual recipients by the 2018-19 school year.

"What we have done, here, is adopted a program that produces predictability for families," Drake said. "There are modest increases, but they are at the level of inflation, roughly. We, at the same time, are increasing substantially our need-based financial aid, so we can help those families who need that support."

Aaron's father, Jim Foster, said planning for his son's college costs has been stressful, but he is confident the family will make it work.

"Knowing that there is a known number at the end of four years, that is a little bit of a help," he said.

mhuson@dispatch.com

@Mike_Huson