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Volume 40, Issue 14
May 6, 2003
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May 6, 2003
District approves $5 tuition increase
By Andrew James
Mesa Legend
After much debate, Maricopa Community’s Governing Board approved
the amendment ratifying the largest tuition and fees increase ever proposed
on April 22.
The approval means that students will pay $5 more per credit hour, an
increase of 11 percent, in the fall of this year.
The increase is not an attempt to rake in larger profits, rather an attempt
to stabilize its third year of increasing budget cuts.
The board has congregated on this issue three times in order to verify
the need of a tuition hike and determine what impact on the students such
a change might present.
However, this issue still did not remedy itself without controversy amongst
its members.
After president of the Governing Board, Ed Contreras, opened up the issue
to the board, Member Nancy Stein brought another proposal to the board
of an increase of only $2 per credit hour, arguing at the meeting last
month that it should be enough money to offset the rise of inflation.
Last month her counter-proposal was voted down 4-to-1. This time around
the two dollar increase failed a motion to reach the table, proving the
majority of the board obviously recognized a serious problem with the
budget.
Linda Rosenthal, Governing Board secretary, suggested an increase of $4
per credit hour, but that motion was voted down in a 3-to-2 decision.
Stein and Rosenthal offered the only objections against the proposed tuition
hike. No one in the audience came up to speak against it.
In less than ten minutes of discussion on the issue the board voted in
favor of the $5 increase in a 3-to-2 decision.
What does this mean for students at MCC and the decreasing budget problems?
Students taking a full course of 30 credit hours can expect to pay 150
more a year, but students relying on scholarships and financial aid will
be safe from losing their funds to budget cuts.
The estimated increase in funds for the next fiscal year will be $10,202,473
and the hike in college cost is expected to be enough money to successfully
patch up the hole in Maricopa Community Colleges’ budget.
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