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News

Board sets fixed limit on tuition increase

Regents consider raising tuition pending state legislation, 
final numbers to be decided in May

by KELSIE HAHN
The Daily Cougar

The UH System Board of Regents approved a recommendation for a maximum tuition increase of 12.4 percent for students taking 12 credit hours next year at its meeting Tuesday, though final rates won't be decided until May.

The board is waiting until pending state legislation regarding possible additions to higher education funding before final numbers for tuition can be set. The purpose of Tuesday's special called meeting was only to "lay out the parameters," Board of Regents Chair Leroy Hermes said.

"The Board of Regents and the administration are doing everything we can to strike a balance between getting a reasonable tuition and fee increase and making strides towards the enhancement of the University toward what we would like to achieve as a ‘Tier 1' status," he said after the meeting. "We really have had a dilemma in that our state funding is constantly a struggle, and at the same time we're doing everything we can to elevate the quality of the University."

Along with the recommendation, UH Vice President of Administration and Finance John Rudley presented possible budgets between 5 and 12.4 percent to illustrate costs of sustained operations and recommended quality enhancements.

The board voted to approve the maximum increase on the record in order to give the Texas Legislature, which is expected to consider earmarking a portion of the state's $14 billion surplus for higher education, a general sense of the tuition increases UH will possibly face, Rudley said.

"The state wants to mitigate the impact to students on the costs that are going up," he said after the meeting.

Rudley presented a table detailing tuition increases based on possible additional state budgeting and an either 3 or 4 percent increase in faculty and staff salaries, with the maximum of 12.4 percent and a minimum of 2.1 percent. The additional state funding could translate into an amount between $13.1 million and no additional money.

Budget numbers based on the two possible increases to faculty and staff salaries were also presented to the board. The increases were to help meet an inflation rate of about 3 percent annually, Hermes said.

Provost Donald Foss said keeping UH's salaries competitive is essential to maintaining the academic vitality of the University.

"We cannot let our existing faculty fall behind the national scene as far as compensation," he said, warning that UH's best faculty could be lured away by higher salaries at other institutions.

On concerns on the lack of student involvement and awareness regarding tuition increases, Rudley said four students, including the Student Government Association president and vice president, serve on the 12-member Tuition and Fee Review Committee to advise in the budget process. He said students at UH tend to be in favor of increased costs if they think the money is being well spent.

"Students appreciate value," he said after the meeting. "They do not appreciate increasing fees if there's not value associated with it."

Once the University's sustaining operations costs are met, raises to tuition will be a matter of priority on $11.18 million of recommended quality enhancements, including president and chancellor special initiatives, faculty hires, increased recruitment efforts, additions to the UH Department of Public Safety and academic support services.

An increase of the maximum of 12.4 percent would provide funding for all recommended enhancements — smaller percentages would result in fewer changes.

The number of recommendations that will be implemented will largely depend on a balancing act between keeping tuition costs down and adhering to the board's strategic plan for the University, Hermes said.

While the quality enhancement recommendation calls for 40 new faculty positions to help decrease the student to faculty ratio as part of the board's state goals for UH, some board members said the money might be better spent in raising incentives for existing faculty.

"I don't see the difference that (a decreased ratio) is going to make on the bottom line," board member Lynden Rose said. "If we had the money, we could do it all. But we don't have it."

Vice Chair Michael Cemo said the final decision would depend on the final Texas funding dollars.

"We're going to have to see where the state comes out," he said.

Even with tuition increases, Rudley said, UH still falls well below average tuition compared to other urban-area universities, comparing UH's cost of $5,648 for two semesters of 12 credit hours for this academic year to $12,138 at the University of Pittsburgh and $9,742 at the University of Illinois at Chicago for equivalent hours.

Hermes said that although tuition and fees have gone up, UH is still a cost-effective option.

"We're below the mid-level of tuition amount," he said, "It's still a bargain to go to the University of Houston."

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