As the U faces a sizeable state budget cut, students can expect to see a higher than usual increase in tuition their costs next year.
The Utah State Board of Regents, which governs public colleges and universities in Utah, and the U’s Board of Trustees will vote on a proposal to increase tuition between 9.2 and 9.7 percent or about $200 for the average full-time undergraduate student. The change would begin in summer 2009.
“There’s still a lot that we do not know yet,” said Paul Brinkman, associate vice president for budget and planning at the U. “We lack precise numbers, but we know that we have to deal with a very serious cutback from the Legislature.”
The Regents, who approve tuition increases for universities and colleges statewide, have already increased tuition by 1 percent, while the U seeks to increase education costs by 8.2 to 8.7 percent.
The Regents approved a 6 percent tuition increase last year, which costs students an average of $250 more per semester.
Administrators are holding a meeting March 9 in the Union East Ballroom at 11 a.m. to allow board members, faculty and others to present their opinions and perspectives on the topic.
The increase is being discussed on campus while, only a few miles away, legislators on Capitol Hill are battling over a bill to create a non-refundable tuition tax credit, House Bill 35, which would allow students to receive a tax break for their education costs.
Recent spending cuts for higher education have severely affected the U, and administrators said they are weighing options as to how to counteract the hit while still offering the most to students.
“If all the cuts happen that are being talked about, we’re looking at a $40 million-plus cutback,” Brinkman said. “So we go through our budget and see what we can cut. We cannot and are not thinking that we can use a tuition increase to cover such a loss, but we’re looking at what we can do.”
The proposed increase is making some students question what their tuition is paying for as the U cuts back the number of classes and other services it offers.
“I wonder where it’s all going, why we’re paying more while we’re getting less,” said Ryan Howell, an undeclared freshman.
Although tuition has increased steadily during the past few years, administrators say the U is cheaper than other top research universities or Research I universities. The College Board, an organization that provides institutional information for American universities and colleges, reports that the average American college student pays just above $7,000 in tuition costs annually. For an “average student” taking 12 credit hours per semester, the tuition at the U costs about $5,285.
“Historically, we haven’t raised our tuition as fast as others in the country,” Brinkman said. “If you take the 100 biggest universities in the nation, we’re at about 70 percent the cost. If you take that as your perspective, we’re still a very good deal.”