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Saturday, June 11, 2011
WSU latest to hike tuition
With a 10.5 percent cut in state funding looming, area colleges and universities are moving to raise tuition to the 3.5 percent state cap to help offset the loses, prompting reactions from students who will have to add to their increasing debt burden.
College loan debt is now more than outstanding credit card debt and is approaching $1 trillion. The typical student finishes college now with $24,000 in loan debts, according to the Project on Student Debt, a college affordability advocate.
Wright State University trustees agreed to a $273 tuition hike Friday for next school year, pushing tuition to $8,070. University of Cincinnati officials already increased costs to the cap.
Miami University officials recommended a similar hike that will mean tuition will be $13,097 next year - the highest of Ohio’s public colleges. Ohio State University is expected to follow.
“It sucks, especially for students who have to pay their own way,” said Sam Bolling a WSU sophomore from Chillicothe. “But the school is not to blame, it’s the government.” Bolling says she has her parents help, but must finish school in four years, something only a little more than a quarter of public college students accomplish. “If I don’t get done in four years, I’ll be hurting,” she said.
David Hopkins, WSU president, has said school officials are mindful of the increased burden on students, but tuition is one of the few ways schools can offset expected cuts in state funding to help lawmakers close a state budget gap.
David Creamer, Miami finance director, said schools in other states with similar budget problems were considering double digit increases. “We’re really going against the flow of what is going on nationally. Our tuition is rising much slower,” Creamer said.
Still, Miami students worry the school could become out of reach for some students. “I’ve seen that all prices are going up. If tuition is going higher, less people are going to want to go here,” said Miami senior Kenny Knipe. “What about people who want to study something that won’t make them money immediately? They have to pay off these loans that are like medical school loans.”
Gov. John Kasich has been equally critical of rising higher education costs, which have dramatically outpaced inflation, and wants to continue the current 3.5 percent cap.
Community colleges also are struggling with the state budget cuts, which come mainly from a loss of federal stimulus money that was not replaced. Edison Community College trustees will consider increasing tuition 3.5 percent when they convene next week.
Sinclair Community College officials will approve an operating budget later this month, but are waiting to see if state lawmakers will let Sinclair and other low cost schools raise tuition above the 3.5 percent cap.
A $200 per student increase, which would provide more money to the cheaper community colleges, was included in the senate version of the state budget. It has the support of college presidents and Ohio Board of Regents Chancellor Jim Petro.
“We are continuing to educate our leaders where we can about the importance of continuing to provide access to two-year college education in Ohio,” said Madeline Iseli, Sinclair vice president of advancement.
The latest annual tuition increases means some students will continue to borrow even more, said Jessica Carr and Nathan Brunswick, WSU nursing students. “We already have more expenses because we are in nursing. This just means more I’ll have to pay back,” Carr said.
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