State universities propose tuition surcharges
by Associated Press, Kevin Tripp/KTAR (April 9th, 2009 @ 9:43am)
All three state universities are proposing tuition surcharges to help make up for cuts in their state funding.
The decision could come at midnight which would be the deadline for the new fee as Arizona State University.
ASU President Michael Crow said the fee will go away when the economy recovers, but he admitted that could be awhile. "And so the options if we don't recover that revenue are very serious."
"The range is a few hundred to somewhere between $1,000 and $2,000," he said for students.
The University of Arizona is recommending a $1,000 per year ``economic recovery surcharge'' that would be in place for at least two years. That would bump tuition to more than $7,000 a year for in-state students.
A memo from President Robert Shelton released on Wednesday said the university could need to increase that to $2,000 per student if federal stimulus money isn't available, just to maintain existing classes, research and outreach efforts.
The state is getting $800 million for all education efforts over two years from the federal stimulus program. But that is one-time money, so the universities can't count on it to do anything more than plug a budget hole.
Shelton's memo said the UA has already absorbed $77 million in state budget cuts.
Northern Arizona University told the Arizona Board of Regents it will need at least $435 more in tuition, and up to $1,200 if federal stimulus money is not used.
Arizona State University also is considering a surcharge, but officials haven't laid out a specific amount, saying it depends on federal money and the depth of state cuts. It is also proposing fee hikes.
Shelton's memo doesn't outline exactly what the money would support, but it said the funds are designed to maintain the university's current offerings.
``The economic-recovery surcharge would be targeted toward areas that are most essential to student success,'' the memo said. ``Our students know the quality of their education depends on having the necessary funding to sustain the academic and student services and infrastructure that undergirds their experience.''
Shelton's request is a departure from earlier plans to deal with state budget cuts. The president previously said he preferred to charge dedicated fees to cover costs such as utilities, advising and library service. However, those preliminary mandatory fees also would have totaled about $1,000.
A task force set up by the Board of Regents was scheduled to discuss the proposals at a meeting Thursday.
(Copyright 2008 Bonneville International Corporation. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. AP contributed to this report.)
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