Universities ponder how much to hike tuition

Utah colleges and universities are trying to peg down just how much more students will pay for their education next year, although much of that decision hinges on how higher education fares in the final days of the Legislature.

Utah's nine public colleges and universities will begin the annual process of airing school needs and possible tuition increases at truth in tuition hearings this month.

While most schools haven't pegged down exact figures for next year's tuition increases, leaders are looking at a possible range that will depend heavily on whether projects and faculty compensation get fully funded by the Legislature.

"There's probably a general expectation that tuition will go up. There's a certain consistency to that," said Paul Brinkman, vice president for budgeting at the University of Utah. "We are doing our best to keep it down and still keep the institution in reasonably good shape."

On top of school-specific tuition increases, the Board of Regents will also implement a systemwide increase to be set at a March 9 meeting. That first-tier increase funds faculty raises set by the Legislature.

Last year, that systemwide increase was 4 percent with school-specific hikes pushing the state average up to 10.5 percent in tuition increases.

At the U., leaders are looking at a school-specific range of between 4 percent and 7 percent on top of the Board of Regents increase, about the same target as last year's increase that settled at 5.45 percent.

"They're not exorbitant, but they would still be significant," Brinkman said.

Funding for increased fuel costs, operations and maintenance and faculty retention funds from the Legislature will determine whether the U. can keep the increases low, Brinkman said. A request for the state to pick up a higher portion of faculty compensation costs could also take some of the tuition burden off students this year.

"All bets are off if they're not funded, but I'm assuming that they will be," Brinkman said.

Students at the College of Eastern Utah may be the only state students to see no school-specific increases next year with college leaders hoping not to hike those rates.

Kevin Walthers, vice president for finance at CEU, said the small school would have to raise tuition by at least 3 percent to even raise enough money to make a difference.

"We've got plenty of needs. Our main issue is that we're supposed to be a comprehensive community college, and if we keep raising our tuition rates, the very people that we need to be serving can't afford to come to school," he said.

Utah State University is hoping to fall within a 3 percent to 5 percent range this year, about on par with its 4 percent increase last year.

Noah Riley, student body president at USU, said he hopes most of that money goes toward student initiatives and not towards costs the Legislature could fund. Additional advising, tutoring and scholarships topped the list of student needs this year.

"Obviously tuition increases are something that students are always opposed to," he said. "But the students are good at recognizing certain needs at the university. If that's what it comes down to, they're willing to pay for a better university rather than something that's going to fade with time."

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