WEDNESDAY, JUNE 18, 2008 News WWW.KANSAN.COM THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
3
FINANCES
Board approves tuition increase,fixed compact
BY DEEPA SAMPAT
dsampat@kansan.com
The Board of Regents approved a 6 percent increase in standard tuition at the University of Kansas last Thursday. The board also approved extending a fixed compact tuition rate to incoming freshmen.
The tuition compact guarantees students won't see an increase in tuition for four years. Because the tuition compact is front-end loaded, the compounded increase is 6 percent for the first year and 7 percent for subsequent years, up to four years.
"Without front-end loading, we wouldn't be able to sustain the compact," Chancellor Richard Hemenway said. "We take on great risks when we take on the compact. The increase is to make sure it was locked in and ensure no future increases."
Provost Richard Lariviere said the University planned to extend the tuition compact to every incoming freshman class.
"We can only do so if it's economically feasible," he said. "It's really tough to predict the state of the economy or funding from the legislature."
Lynn Britz, director of University communications, said the tuition compact provided extra incentive for students to complete an undergraduate degree in four years. If students don't finish in four, they must pay the
standard tuition rate.
"It is like a financial reward to finish in four years,"Bretz said.
Assuming a current resident freshman needed an extra year to graduate, and assuming a 6 percent increase in tuition to the standard rate every year, that student would pay an increase of about $472 more than their original compact rate, per semester. The amount is based on a 15 credit hour semester.
All non-compact paying students (juniors, seniors, transfer students and graduate students) will see a 6 percent increase in tuition. That means resident undergraduates will pay an additional $175.50 per semester, assuming 15 credit hours. Out-of-state undergrads will pay an additional $460.50 per semester.
"Tuition at KU has increased in the past five years, but it is still average or below average when compared to other universities," Hemenway said. "We are right in the middle of the Big 12, and KU's tuition at the national level is quite low."
The regents had mixed feelings about the tuition increases. Regent Gary Sherrer voted against all tuition and fee increases at the University. Sherrer said he believed the state hadn't provided enough funding, but parents and students shouldn't have to feel the burden of increased costs.
Larviere said he sympathized
with Sherrer's opinions.
"I think he's worried we are pricing ourselves so that people will not be able to come to the University," Lariviere said. "I agree it would be great if increases were zero, but we will not accept delivering an inferior education to students."
"At what point do we say enough is enough?" she said, referring to the financial burdens placed on students
Regent Juana Perkins said she thought the state had done a good job of providing funding, but it still wasn't a sufficient amount.
and parents.
Regent chairwoman Christine Downey-Schmidt said she wasn't willing to let the legislature off the hook from not providing enough funding by increasing tuition every year. However, she said ultimately the board and University administrators were responsible for ensuring students receive a high quality education.
"I'm not interested in pricing people out of college, but I'll be darned if I'll settle for a lesser quality education so everyone can afford it," Downey-Schmidt said. "I'm not willing to
short change this system. I'm not willing to settle for pretty good."
Despite the tuition increases, Hemenway said that the University's tuition rate put it at a disadvantage when competing with other universities. However, he said the 6 percent cap on tuition increases by the regents was a good guideline.
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