University officials hold tuition, fee increase hearing

Oct 29 2009 - 12:07am | Kosaku Narioka

University officials are planning to propose tuition and fee hikes at the system Board of Regents meeting in November, said Bill Nance, vice president for finance and support services.

The increase rates will likely be 5 percent for tuition and 2.5 percent for the fees that require no student referendum.

Those rates are the maximum allowed under the system policy set last November by the board.

Joanne Smith, vice president for Student Affairs, said university officials will hold a hearing about the increases at 4 p.m. Monday at the LBJ Student Center, room 3-14.1.

Nance said the university needs more money than the additional revenue would bring in, but “this is all we could propose at this time.”
University officials are planning to spend $5.5 million to raise faculty and staff salary by 3 percent and $1.3 million to boost student financial aids with the additional revenue. Officials are planning to hire additional academic advisers to lower the ratio to students 300:1. The current rate is about 400:1 students to one adviser.

The Texas State University System Board of Regents will meet Nov. 19 to Nov. 20 at Lamar University.
University officials have been planning for the hikes since August.

According to the minutes, University President Denise Trauth said at the Aug. 10 cabinet meeting they need to begin planning for tuition and fee increases for the 2011 fiscal year.

Trauth asked university officials at the meeting to begin preparing for a potential 10 percent cut in state appropriations in the next biennium.
She said at the Sept. 1 cabinet meeting the 2009 fall enrollment growth gives the university “a very important opportunity to plan for the best ways to cushion a potential legislative budget cut,” the minutes read.

Robert Gratz, special assistant to the president, said Trauth, Provost Perry Moore and Nance met with the local committee chair of the board to discuss what options will be presented at the hearing. ASG President Chris Covo said Friday the fee increase for advising will likely be proposed to the board. He said the issue is related to the Quality Enhancement Plan the university is developing for the reaffirmation by Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.

The Board authorized a 7 percent tuition and fee hike last November, making 15 semester credit hours cost $3,741. The board set the limits on potential raises for academic year 2010 to 2011. According to minutes, Trauth said the quality of education will suffer under the five percent cap.

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