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A mixed reaction to UH tuition hike

Students see value in use of revenue, but more should go 
to scholarships, services

by Portia-Elaine Gant
Senior Staff Writer

The UH System Board of Regents approved increases in tuition and fees Systemwide on Thursday, meaning the cost of an education at UH will rise by about 10 percent for a typical undergraduate student in the fall.

Although administrators and student government leaders supported the increase, general reaction seems as diverse as the University's student population.

"That's insane," graphic communication freshman Leo Mary said. "It's a stupid idea. If the administration wants to help students, they should lower tuition, not raise it."

Basic undergraduate tuition and fees will increase $186 this fall for a student taking 12 semester credit hours, including a $10 per-hour increase in designated tuition, which UH sets. The bill for 12 hours will be $2,043 for undergraduates and $2,619 for graduate students.

Almost 24 percent of the expected $23.4 million in revenue from the increases has been designated for financial aid, and about 72 percent of the money will go to recruiting and retaining faculty and staff.

"If (students) are dishing out all this money, (the administration) should appropriate a little more for financial aid," political science freshman Armand Jawanmardi said. "We're the students; we should benefit the most from increases. If it doesn't directly benefit us, what's the point?"

Other students said they see a benefit to faculty and staff recruitment and retention.

"That's fairly reasonable, because the faculty is doing a good job," psychology major Antonio Head said. "An important way to build a good program is to hold on to faculty members who are doing a good job."

Although Head said he thinks the increase is reasonable, he noted that it could decrease enrollment.

"This is going to affect people who really want to go to school and come here for a well-priced education," Head said. "There is a possibility that if increases continue, it will reduce enrollment, including mine."

Interior design sophomore Franchella Ross said she's felt the need for increased faculty and staff and sees a need in academic services as well.

"In the Social Work tutorial area, students have to wait so long to get any help. Once, I had to wait an hour for help," Ross said. "It's a hard topic because a lot should go to financial aid, but we also need more help."

Differentiated tuition, varied tuition rates for students in seven UH colleges, was also approved Thursday, garnered an equally varied response.

"I think it's a little excessive, the differentiated tuition increase," Jawanmardi said. "Technically, tuition will increase even more than the 10 percent. For some students, it will almost be the same price to go to (The University of Texas). What if students are leaving UH to go to UT? If a student believes that UT is a better school, what's to stop students from leaving UH when UT is $400 more?"

Chemical engineering major Nataysa Wirawan also said she didn't like the differentiated tuition, but with different reasoning.

"If they average what each department needs so that everyone has the same increase, it would be better," Wirawan said. "Everyone should pay the same tuition, regardless of what college they're in."

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