“Mo’ money! Mo’ money! Mo’ money!” is what PV students are soon going to be screaming as designated tuition goes up $17 in the fall semester of 2005.
“As we have all learned in recent years, tuition and fee increases have become a part of academic life as more of the cost of higher education has been shifted from the state to the student,” said President George C. Wright in his memorandum on “Tuition, Fees, and the Future on the University,” of Dec. 5, 2003.
On Wednesday, Feb. 2, the “Public Forum on Designated Tuition” was held to inform students about the upcoming increase in designated tuition, voice their opinions, and ask any questions about the matter. In 1969, designated tuition was labeled as a “building use fee,” which was a fee paid by students for the upkeep of the university.
Designated tuition has been on a noticeable increase since the fall of 2002. Rates per SCH (semester credit hour) were and are as follows: fall 2002- $36; spring 2004, $36; fall 2004, $46; spring 2005, $46. The proposed fall 2005 rate per SCH is $63.
The increase will provide an overall projected revenue of $3,400,000 disbursed as follows: $680,000 (20% of overall projected revenue) set aside for students in need of financial aid; $1,760,000 (4% of overall projected revenue) assigned to the merit salary increase pool for faculty (including benefits); $400,000 to fund the repair and rehabilitation of classrooms and labs, including new classroom and lab furniture; $500,000 to fund new faculty positions.
“As a university, we [Prairie View A&M University faculty and students] are stuck between a rock and a hard place,” said Wright. The major problem in the president’s hands is the issue of pay increases for faculty.
Wright explained that the state did not give money to public universities that would ensure a pay increase for faculty last year.
He said that the “rock” of this situation is that it becomes a detriment to the livelihood of the faculty if there is no pay increase. The “hard place” of higher tuition is that the cost of an education will go up for students.
“As President, I have no choice but to increase tuition… ultimately the increase will happen,” said Wright.