CPE sets tuition ceilings for Ky universities

This from H-L:

The Council on Postsecondary Education has set maximums for tuition increases at state-funded colleges and universities.

The panel met Thursday in Elizabethtown and set a maximum tuition and fee increase of 6 percent for the University of Kentucky and the University of Louisville, 5 percent for comprehensive universities and 4 percent for the Kentucky Community and Technical College System.

The six comprehensive universities are Eastern Kentucky University, Kentucky State University, Morehead State University, Murray State University, Northern Kentucky University and Western Kentucky University.

Council officials said in a statement that the tuition increases were necessary to help offset cuts in state funding and expected increases in operating expenses and maintenance.

Ky. colleges likely to see up to 6% tuition increases

"Without a budget, we would need to close our campuses.
The likelihood of this impact is real and substantial."

-- Robert King

This from the Herald-Leader:

The Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education on Friday approved guidelines for tuition hikes for 2010-11 of 6 percent for the University of Kentucky and University of Louisville, 5 percent for comprehensive universities and 4 percent for community and technical colleges. Last year's increase was staggered at 3 percent to 5 percent.

Some of the state's public university presidents and council members questioned why the in-state undergraduate tuition increases shouldn't be more than 6 percent. Even if each school adopts the maximum tuition increase allowed, all will be substantially in the red, according to the presidents.

And if the state doesn't adopt a budget soon, said council president Robert L. King, the universities will have to shut down temporarily. The common perception is that universities can run on tuition revenue in a budget pinch, but using tuition requires a budget appropriation, which requires that the state have a budget, King said.

After a 60-day legislative session that ended last week, Kentucky doesn't have a budget...

UK President Lee T. Todd Jr. told the council that he called Beshear on Thursday to tell Beshear he was going to ask for a 7 percent ceiling.

Even with a 6 percent increase, CPE figures show UK will have a deficit of nearly $7.6 million for operations. Eastern Kentucky University would have a deficit of $3.8 million with a 5 percent increase; Kentucky State University, $6.2 million after a 5 percent increase; and Morehead State University, $3.8 million after a 5 percent increase...

Legislative leaders like CPE's tuition caps

This from the Herald-Leader:

FRANKFORT — The state's top two legislative leaders said Friday they are pleased with a tuition proposal from higher education's coordinating board and probably won't pursue a cap on tuition through legislation.

Earlier this week, the Council on Postsecondary Education proposed a tiered system for capping tuition increases in the coming school year. If approved, no state school could increase tuition by more than 5 percent.

Senate President David Williams, R-Burkesville, said ..."If they make a good-faith effort to continue to do that, I think the General Assembly won't address that issue in this session." House Speaker Greg Stumbo, D-Prestonsburg, said he agreed...

Under the council's proposal, the University of Kentucky and the University of Louisville could charge up to 5 percent more in the 2009-10 academic year.

The six regional universities — including Eastern Kentucky, Morehead State and Kentucky State — could increase tuition up to 4 percent, while the Kentucky Community and Technical College System could hike its rate 3 percent.

Council members will be asked to approve the recommended caps at their March 6 meeting....

Tuition caps would hold UK to 5% rise

This from Ryan Alessi at H-L:

The University of Kentucky would have to limit any tuition increase next year to 5 percent under a recommendation before the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education.

The agency is proposing a tiered system for capping tuition increases, in which UK and the University of Louisville could charge up to 5 percent more in the 2009-10 academic year.

The six regional universities — including Eastern Kentucky University, Morehead State University and Kentucky State University — could increase tuition up to 4 percent. The Kentucky Community and Technical College System could boost its rate 3 percent, according to the draft recommendation from the council's staff.

"Most of the response we've gotten has been a sense of relief that the numbers are in the range that they're in and that this has been a collaborative process," said Council President Robert King, who has been talking with university officials, Gov. Steve Beshear and key lawmakers about the plan....

Tuition Jump in Florida Wins Backing of Governor

This from the New York Times:

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Gov. Charlie Crist urged the Legislature on Thursday to allow double-digit tuition increases at all of Florida’s 11 public universities as a way of blunting the impact of state-ordered budget cuts imposed over the last two years.

The proposal from Mr. Crist, who in the past has opposed raising tuition, would give individual universities the power to increase it up to 15 percent annually until Florida’s in-state tuition rate reached the national average, now about $6,500 a year.

Economy, costs force students to rethink college choices

This from USA Today:

ELON, N.C. (AP) — Erin O'Connell took the tour this week at Elon University, a handsome, up-and-coming college with a $31,000-a-year price tag. That's hefty — but $20,000 less than some "uppity" schools she may have to cross off her list.
"I'm going to be pulling out my hair to make ends meet," said the high school senior from suburban Boston. "I'll apply for anything and everything I possibly can." As for more expensive schools, she said: "While the title would be nice, I might not get out with both arms and both legs."

It's prime college-visiting season for the high school class of 2009, which next fall will send the greatest number of graduates on to college in American history. But the souring economy and the crisis on Wall Street are shrinking families' college savings, and some parents wonder whether they will be able to afford tuition at the schools their youngsters are looking at...

Cost of college on lawmakers' minds

This from Art Jester at the H-L:

FRANKFORT — Tuition at Kentucky's public universities and community colleges has shot up an average of 12 percent a year over the last five years, which is about four times the rate of inflation and the growth of the state's median family income.

That may be putting the cost of a college education out of reach for ordinary Kentuckians, worried state legislators and postsecondary education officials said Monday.

“Something's got to happen,” said Richard A. Crofts, the interim president of the state Council on Postsecondary Education.

“It can't continue, and we're going to have to develop a plan,” he said...

...Crofts said Kentucky's plan will have to take into account several factors:

■ An expectation that costs will go up.

■ A reasonable expectation of what Kentuckians should pay for college.

■ A reasonable expectation of how much students should borrow to help pay for college without being saddled with too much debt.

■ A reasonable expectation of what students should contribute to pay for their education, from summer earnings, campus jobs and the like...

Holding the line

This from C-J:

The heady days of the Kentucky General Assembly passing House Bill 1 seem so far behind us now. It was a little more than a decade ago, in 1997, when lawmakers, Gov. Paul Patton and business people from all over the commonwealth came together to think really big about reforming the higher education system in this state. Their vision was no less than to change the culture -- and economic hopes -- for Kentucky.

Apparently, times and priorities have changed. This spring, many of the public colleges and universities have been hit by what Tony Newberry, president of Jefferson Community and Technical College in Louisville, calls "a double bind": First, their budgets were cut by the General Assembly and the Governor by 6 percent. Then last week, the Council on Postsecondary Education scaled back their requests for tuition increases.

The community colleges took the biggest hit. They had requested a 13 percent tuition increase to make ends meet. Last Friday, the CPE announced it was holding them to 5.2 percent instead.

But the CPE was right to do so. The community college system exists to serve the most vulnerable students -- those who are most likely to drop out if staying in school gets any harder for them than it already is. Many community college and technical school students are single parents, adults who are supporting themselves or their families while they go to school, or minorities who are the first generation in their families to go to college. For almost all community college students, the price matters.

And as the cost of four-year institutions continues to rise, it becomes even more critical that community colleges stay affordable. Kentucky's already cost more than similar schools in other states.

Earlier this month, when the CPE held hearings on the tuition increases, University of Kentucky president Lee Todd asked an essential question: "Are we serious about trying to move this state forward or not?" A poor state like Kentucky, which remains near the bottom of the educational heap, is foolish to be cutting back on education. Everyone knows education is the key to making us more competitive in a global
world.

Unfortunately, the legislature and Governor felt otherwise. Now the college and university presidents and their boards of trustees will have to pick among the bad choices.

Group urges cuts in some tuition hikes

This from C-J:

U of L, UK not part of reduction sought

Five of Kentucky's higher-education institutions -- including the state's community and technical college system -- should not be allowed to raise tuition and fees as much as they propose.

That's the recommendation of staff at the state's Council on Postsecondary Education.

If the council follows the recommendation, it is believed it would be the first time it has rejected a tuition proposal since the state passed a higher-education overhaul in 1997...

Council Chairman John Turner said it could deviate from the recommendations, which were released last night, but likely would give them heavy weight. He also reiterated the council's growing concern with affordability.

"I think that clearly is the big issue," he said. "The commonwealth as well as the country are economically distressed right now." ...

...The recommendations drew outcries last night from university officials, including WKU President Gary Ransdell, who spent part of yesterday talking to faculty and staff about cuts the university will make as a result of a 6 percent reduction in state funding...

Is the Council on Postsecondary Education Relevant?

For several years now the effectiveness of the Council on Postsecondary Education has been called into question. The most recent volley was fired by the Courier-Journal last Friday.

C-J said CPE was "utterly useless in terms of setting priorities for state spending on public colleges and universities, because the General Assembly ignores its recommendations whenever it chooses." They called for Governor Steve Beshear to "re-invent the council by executive order."

If the governor wanted to preserve CPE's authority over both the universities and the legislature it could be easily done, and at no cost to the public. The way to make CPE respectable is to give them control over the distribution of athletic tickets to legislators. Instantly, legislators would be in a position to listen.

As it is CPE will soon have an opportunity to test its own relevance without any such motivators.

Will CPE hold the line on the 3 to 7 percent tuition increases it previously outlined? Or will it bend to popular opinion (at least among students and parents) that tuition increases must be held down? On the heels of C-J's skewering it is reasonable to suspect that a few CPE members may have their hackles up.

The failure of the legislature to adequately support education, has created a no-win situation.

State universities who take their missions seriously (and follow the requirements of higher education reform as outlined by HB 1) cannot sit idly by while their goals fade to nothing. Absent state support, the only option for staying on track is to raise tuition. But faithful adherence to a mission that is in the best interest of Kentucky students may also price some students out of the market - at a time when Kentucky needs to double the number of college graduates.

EKU President Doug Whitlock told the Herald-Leader that he understands the council's "legitimate" concern over higher tuition, but said a "balance has to be struck" between affordability and the "ability to offer classes and help students be successful."

Meanwhile, Beshear holds little hope for improved state funding for elementary and secondary education in the near future.

This from the Herald-Leader:

Tuition plans to get hard scrutiny
HIGHER ED PANEL TO REVIEW STATE SCHOOLS' PROPOSALS

As two state universities approved proposed higher tuition rates Tuesday, a key state official said those requests and others will face tough scrutiny before gaining final approval.

Brad Cowgill, the embattled president of the state Council on Postsecondary Education, said the group has arrived at a consensus that tuition should generally go up 3 to 7 percent, with room for exceptions if schools successfully make their case at the council's tuition hearings April 30 and May 1.

On Tuesday, the University of Kentucky's Board of Trustees approved a 9 percent rise in tuition and Eastern Kentucky University's Board of Regents approved an 8 percent increase -- both for in-state students.

Officials at both schools said they regretted the increases but found them unavoidable after two rounds of budget cuts reduced their state funding by 6 percent.

Meanwhile, Cowgill called the Kentucky Community and Technical College System's proposal for a 13 percent tuition increase "clearly excessive," noting that its tuition has increased 151 percent over the last 10 years and is now 26 percent higher than the national average for community colleges...

For those keeping score, here are the tuition rate increases

under consideration for Kentucky's universities so far:

KCTCS - 13 percent

Northern Kentucky University - 9.68 percent increase
Western Kentucky University - 9 percent increase
University of Kentucky - 9 percent increase
University of Louisville - 9 percent increase
Eastern Kentucky University - 8 percent increase

Kentucky State University - 8 percent tuition

Murray State University - 6 percent increase
Morehead State University - tuition increase will be based on number of credit hours

Mark Hebert has a statement from CPE head Brad Cowgill:

Several hundred U of L students protest higher tuition

This from the Courier-Journal: Photo by Michael Clevenger.

They also call on state to fund higher education

Chanting "listen to us, we matter," several hundred University of Louisville students rallied yesterday against anticipated tuition increases and state cuts to higher education.

Some of the students walked out of class to take part in the demonstration, which included calls for U of L not to raise tuition more than 5 percent for the coming academic year and to include more students in tuition-setting decisions.

"Student tuition makes up about 40 percent of the university's revenues, and we want a voice equal to that," said Jennifer Wallin, a psychology and sociology major who helped organize the rally. "And we hope Frankfort sees this and thinks twice about the budget."

During the rally -- which was outside Grawemeyer Hall, the school's main administration building -- students talked about the rising cost of getting a degree, burgeoning student debt and the state's low national ranking -- 47th -- when it comes to adults with bachelor's degrees.

Mike Sewell, 50, a student from Bullitt County, said he related to a lot of the contentions raised during the protest.

I've been here since 2003, and every year I have been here there has been a tuition hike," he said....

Five more state universities to raise tuition

9 INCREASES RANGE FROM 5.5% TO 9.9%

The state Council on Postsecondary Education yesterday approved higher rates for tuition and mandatory fees at five more of Kentucky's public universities for the 2007-2008 academic year.

This from the Lexington Herald-Leader.