Budget bill orders biggest hikes at research schools
Colorado residents attending state colleges and universities could be socked with tuition increases of up to 9 1/2 percent next fall.
"Colorado universities still a bargain"How about that for a more accurate headline. Here's how CU's tuition, for instance, compares to similar schools across the country:
The pattern is the same when you compare or other state universities and colleges to their peers in other states.
Our tuition is relatively low despite that fact that Colorado contributes far less funding to its universities than the other states.
And our low tuition buys a better-than-average education. In the U.S. News rankings, CU looks pretty good compared to its peers:
Rank 44 University of Texas -- Austin 75 Indiana University -- Bloomington 79 University of Colorado -- Boulder 85 University of Kansas 85 Iowa State University 91 University of Missouri -- Columbia 91 University of Nebraska -- Lincoln 96 University of Massachusetts -- Amherst 112 Florida State University
The legislature's Joint Budget Committee included that recommendation Friday in the draft of the annual state spending bill.
Students at the four research schools - the University of Colorado, Colorado State University, the University of Northern Colorado and the Colorado School of Mines - would see increases of up to 9 1/2 percent.
Other four-year schools - such as Metropolitan State College - would see increases of up to 71/2 percent, while the increases at the community colleges would be capped at 5 1/2 percent.
But the budget committee recommendation also would cap increases for the neediest students at 5 percent and would add $9 million of additional funds for financial aid and work- study grants.
Increases for graduate students and non-resident undergraduates would not be capped under the proposal.
The six-member JBC could still revise the draft before it is introduced in the House of Representatives on March 24.
The House or the Senate also could make changes.
The increases still would have to be adopted by each school's governing boards, which could raise tuition by lesser amounts.
Rep. Jack Pommer, D-Boulder, said the tuition increase is needed because the state can't afford to raise direct support for higher education.
Without more money, schools will have to cut programs.
"There's a lot of talk about keeping tuition down," said Pommer, who made the motion to raise tuition. "The question is, keeping tuition for what down?
"If you destroy the university so you're not charging much tuition . . . you're not getting much of an education, either."
Colorado tuition will still fall below the average of comparable institutions in other states, Pommer said.
Gov. Bill Ritter and the Colorado Commission on Higher Education had sought increases that topped out at 9 percent.
Blake Gibson, a leader of Associated Students of Colorado, said he understands the financial bind Colorado universities are in.
But, he warned, students are being priced out of higher education.
Students at many Colorado schools saw double digit tuition increases last year, said Gibson, a CSU sophomore.
"Like anything else, there's kind of a point where it just becomes too much," Gibson said. The increases add to the heavy debt burden many students carry, he said.
Along with the higher tuition, the JBC voted to increase higher education funding by more than $60 million, including the additions to financial aid.
Education costs may go up Here are some sample resident undergraduate tuitions for next year, assuming higher education governing boards take advantage of the full increases allowed under the draft state budget bill:
INSTITUTION THIS YEAR* NEXT YEAR**
* CU Arts & Sciences $5,418 $5,933
* CU Business School $8,632 $9,452
* CU Engineering $7,498 $8,210
* Metro State $2,432 $2,614
* Community Colleges $2,315 $2,442
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