Next year students can expect to pay about half amonth’s worth of rent more in student fees and tuition.
Administrators held the Truth in Tuition meeting was held Friday afternoon in the Marriott Library’s Gould Auditorium to give students an idea of how much tuition and fees will rise next year and why.
Administrators are required by statute to hold Truth in Tuition meetings at state-sponsored universities and colleges each year.
Because state funds will not be sufficient to cover the costs of running the U, tuition will be increased by $153 and student fees will go up $24 dollars for 15 credit hours.
Graduate student fees and tuition will increase by about $210.
“The good news,” said Dave Pershing, senior vice-president of academic affairs, “is the state is also going to pay for more financial aid.”
Despite these increases, the U is still one of the cheapest schools in the country, Pershing said.
Next year’s increases, the total cost of education and the percentage of a family’s income that goes toward tuition are all much lower than the national average and are among the lowest, if not the lowest in the country, Pershing said.
“The point of all that is I think you’re getting a good deal-even if it doesn’t feel like that when you have to pay for it,” he said.
The audience was mostly a rainbow of campaign T-shirts worn by next year’s prospective student leaders who asked questions about the budget and took advantage of the opportunity to voice their opinions on how money is spent on campus.
That was a “big change,” Pershing said. “It’s exciting to see student leaders. It’s so important to have an open forum where students can learn what we’re thinking before it happens and to fell free to give us their ideas.”
Paul Brinkman, vice-president of budget and planning, said he thinks the end of yearly tuition increases is close and student participation in the legislative process has helped that.
“Students have been good at being involved. It may not pay off this year, but people remember,” he said.
Jeremy Johnson was among the few students in attendance who was not associated with a campaign or student group.
“I was really surprised at how responsive they are to our ideas and suggestions,” he said.
Pershing also emphasized the value of higher education in being successful financially and he said he hopes students don’t drop out because of the increases in next year’s fees and tuition.
“Stick with us, try to finish, try to stay,” he said.