Students have mixed reaction to tuition hike
CALIFORNIA – Students at California University of Pennsylvania had mixed reactions Thursday to the news that the State System of Higher Education (SSHE) Board of Governors voted to increase tuition at the state universities by two-percent. According to Tom Gluck, the SSHE director of communications, this year’s increase is the smallest in the past seven years and the third smallest since the state system was formed in 1983. There has been only one academic year, 1998-99, in which tuition was frozen.
Gluck said tuition for a full-time student will go up by $96 to $4,906 for the 2005-06 school year. In addition, the Board of Governors voted to increase the technology fee from $100 to $125 for the year, the first increase in that fee since it was instituted four years ago, Gluck said.
Gluck said the SSHE has two main sources of revenue: tuition and state subsidy.
“There was a 2.75 percent increase in state funding,” Gluck said. “That’s about $2 million more than the governor had proposed.”
Gluck said the state universities have worked for the past four or five months to curtail expenses in all areas.
“While we’re still going to have substantial increases in our health insurance, it will be about two percent lower than anticipated,” Gluck said.
The SSHE will also be participating in strategic sourcing for goods and services through the state, taking advantage of lower prices through state contracts as well as joint purchasing among the 14 universities for academically-related supplies. Gluck said the SSHE anticipates saving about $1.8 million through the strategic sourcing.
“Our enrollment is increasing and we continue to be the lowest cost option for a four-year institution,” Gluck said.
Some Cal U students agreed with that assessment, while others were put off by yet another increase in their academic costs.
“Isn’t everything else pretty much going up, too?” said Nicholas Hetrick, an English/political science major from Jefferson, Greene County.
Hetrick pointed to the changes on campus, with Clyde Hall torn down and new buildings going up.
“I’m seeing all kinds of improvements in the way the campus looks, but I’m still getting the same curriculum,” Hetrick said. “Improve the education first.”
Barry Niccolai, the associate vice president for Student Development and Services, said the building projects come from the state capital improvements fund, which is separate from the regular budget. New residence halls are paid for through student housing fees and student activities are paid for through the activity fee set by the Student Government Association and the student government.
Tracy Slade of Harrisburg, whose daughter will be starting at Cal U in the fall, said that while the increase wasn’t very high, tuition already is expensive.
“To me, I think school should be free, as much as we pay in tax dollars,” Slade said.
Heather Escott of Jefferson Hills, Allegheny County, is a senior sport management major at Cal U and was more philosophical about the situation.
“It’s part of life. Tuition increases all the time. It’s good that it’s a small increase. It’s something we expect and have gotten used to,” Escott said.
Newton and Catherine Berdine of Lone Pine, husband and wife who are both students at the university, will be paying the increase twice, but still count their education as a bargain.
“That’s not too bad, compared with some of the other ones around here. At Washington & Jefferson you get the same education, but it’s a lot more expensive,” Newton Berdine said.
Berdine, who first started his Cal U education in 1986, but then took 13 years off, has seen numerous increases over the years.
“It’s still better economically to come to a state school. Cal has some good professors here. They have some great credentials. They could go anywhere,” Newton Berdine said.
Catherine Berdine said the tuition situation at Cal U could be better, but it could also be much worse.
“I used to go to a school in New Jersey where you paid by the credit and they didn’t take financial aid. Most of the time, financial aid pays for most of my tuition. I still think college tuition is way high,” Catherine Berdine said.