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Volume 41, Issue 1
March 11, 2003
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March 11, 2003
Tuition hike; largest ever
By Dan Smith
Mesa Legend
A tuition hike of $5 per credit hour could hit students in Maricopa County
as the community college district fights a third year of state budget
cuts with the threat of more looming.
This change would mark the largest tuition increase ever in Maricopa Community
Colleges’ history, drawing an additional 11 percent in fees from
students.
Students taking 30 credit hours would have to pay $150 more in annual
tuition under the new proposal that was brought to the Maricopa Community
College District Board on Feb. 27.
The amount would constitute an added $3 per credit hour in tuition than
predictions made in the summer of 2002.
Possibility of the increase met with contrasted views at the MCCD Governing
Board meeting.
In the proposal 12 percent of the new funds, totaling about $1.2 million,
would go to scholarships and it was this potential use of the money that
caused the majority of disagreement between members of the Board.
Some of the funds that could go to the financially needy might end up
in the hands of students who, “just use it to buy McDonald’s
or another C.D.,” said Board member Linda Rosenthal.
Board member Gene Eastin shared Rosenthal’s skepticism about the
amount appropriated for scholarships.
An additional $324,965 would go to presidential scholarships in the plan,
and an extra $250,000 would go to scholarships for the financially needy.
“Cutting scholarships is unthinkable,” said Board President
Ed Contreras.
Board member Donald Campbell brought up the question of a smaller increase
of $2 or $4, but according to Associate Vice Chancellor Debra Thompson,
a smaller increase would not be enough based on needs and available resources
in the face of budget cuts and costs for enrollment growth as well as
other factors.
Glendale Community College Student Government stepped up to the podium
at the meeting with more than 3,700 student signatures opposing the possible
tuition jump, they plan on obtaining more before the Board takes action
on March 26.
“Community colleges are for the common person seeking an education,”
said President of Glendale’s Student Government, Robert Gayton, who
went on to point out that an increase like this would undermine the basic
values of a community college.
Chris Burton, a student at Rio Salado, supported a raised tuition at the
event, saying it was a necessary increase and that “students who
attend and benefit from community college should pay for it.”
The addition of 12 new district faculty members, costing $853, 920, will
also be paid for by tuition money in the plan.
Added employees supported by the tuition hike represent about half of
a total 25 new faculty members to MCCD may employ.
The Other new employees, numbering 13, would be paid for by Proposition
301, a state action which gives community colleges money from a recently
raised state sales tax of sixth tenths of a cent.
The rest of the capital from the increase, slightly more than $8 million,
would be pooled with other Maricopa Community College funds and appropriated
for state retirement increases, flex benefit increases, property insurance
increases, salary increases, tuition and fee rebate (enrollment growth),
operation costs, business costs, and bid costs (medical insurance).
In total MCCD would receive more than $10 million in funds from the hiked
tuition, which is the second largest source of revenues for the colleges
representing roughly 20 percent.
Most funding for community colleges comes from property taxes, around
60 percent.
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