Tuition hike hinges on compensation

Whether first-tier tuition at public colleges and universities goes up 1 percent or as much as 4 percent will depend on how much money the 2006 Legislature puts toward a compensation increase for state employees.

The State Board of Regents Friday decided on that stance as schools prepare to hold talks with students on how much to raise second-tier tuition. The first tier funds an institution's share of a compensation increase while revenue from the second tier covers the cost of other institutional needs.

If the Legislature approves a 4 percent compensation increase for state employees, a first-tier tuition increase for students would need to raise more than $9 million — $3.3 million of that would come from the University of Utah alone.

In Friday's meeting, regents heard that the average increase for second-tier tuition may be in the range of 5 percent to 7 percent, with some schools possibly being higher. Tuition has gone up at each of Utah's 10 public colleges and universities every year since 1996-97.