UT Tuition Increase Needed To Stave Off Staff Cuts, Committee Reports

By alcalde in Blog on January 21, 2010 at 9:50 am | No Comments

Is it time again for another tuition hike?

A group of students, faculty, and administrators charged with studying the issue recommended Wednesday increasing tuition 3.95 percent in the 2010-11 and 2011-12 school years to prevent major staff layoffs.

According to the Daily Texan, about 50 students attended the public forum, held in the ACES building, to hear the Tuition Policy Advisory Committee’s plan and offer feedback before President Bill Powers submits his final recommendation to the Board of Regents at the end of the month.

“We’re trying to get the word out to help people understand the logic behind the recommendations,” Kevin Hegarty, committee co-chair and UT’s vice president and chief financial officer, told the Daily Texan.

The logic is pretty straightforward: without the tuition increases, UT would face budget shortfalls of $17.3 million in 2010-11 and $14. 2 million in 2011-12.

The increases would only prevent layoffs and would not provide money for any salary increases. To hire new faculty and give existing faculty raises, UT would need to up tuition by 18 percent.

“No student wants a tuition increase,” UT junior Carly Castsetter, told the Austin-American Statesman. “Right now, we can point our finger at the Texas Legislature, though, because tuition increases every year, and it seems like their funding (to public universities) decreases.”

When added to a new student-approved fee to build the Student Activity Center, the tuition increases would bump tuition for a Texas-resident undergraduate student from $4,468 to $4,709 during the 2010 fall and 2011 spring semesters. In 2011-2012, tuition would cost $4,895.

The committee will host another forum Tuesday at 1 p.m. in the Avaya Auditorium, Room 2.302, of the ACES Building.