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State college tuition could rise 9.5%

Budget bill orders biggest hikes at research schools

By Berny Morson, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Published March 15, 2008 at 12:30 a.m.

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Colorado residents attending state colleges and universities could be socked with tuition increases of up to 9 1/2 percent next fall.

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

* More Colorado legislative news, 12

Comments

  • March 15, 2008

    8:42 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    LOUIE writes:

    Capitalism at it's finest hour; unto the gifted and the elite go the spoils of success and achievement. Until the poor rings the doorbell, and it becomes thier house once again. When shall the elite ever learn? Do you think the rich man ever knew Lazarus was under his table or begged for crumbs at his gate? To the elite, King Louie watched the gaurds play with his child, from his lofty prison cell. Later the boy was turned over to a cobbler to do as desired. 7 years later the child layed unrecognizable to the motician for suffering the abuse of the cobbler. Please, have more mercy, lest the bell tolls for thee...

  • March 15, 2008

    9:31 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    mytwosense writes:

    I would like a full understanding of the biggest costs the universities are facing, how much they're increasing and why.

    Not one of these articles ever delves into that, thus, we are left with no understanding of why tuition costs keep rising.

  • March 15, 2008

    9:49 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    hikingartist writes:

    I agree twosense. At a time when the US job market is being flooded with engineering graduates from China & India, you would think common sense would make higher education MORE accesible not more restrictive.
    The "The legislature's Joint Budget Committee" should explain this in very clear terms but I think it is a rip-off.

  • March 15, 2008

    12:12 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    EastVail writes:

    This is excellent. It's not my job to subsidize somebody's 4-year (ok, 5-year) drinking and pot binge at "college" (aka CU or CSU).

  • March 15, 2008

    12:13 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    MC2008 writes:

    To start, CU needs to fire their million-dollar lobbying firm (what are they lobbying for, higher tuition?). Then, cut the budget for administration, including the hundreds of thousands they are spending in a new "branding" campaign to get everyone to refer to UCD as UCD. Next, they should throw some money at the student body, instead of new carpet and furniture for Benson's new office suite (not to mention the search to find a President who isn't qualified for his job). I have been a student on the Denver campus for four years now and every year it is the same whining about needing students to pay more, but never anything about the school contributing that money to my experience.

  • March 15, 2008

    12:54 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    LOUIE writes:

    Higher education should be a right of all American citizens, both rich or poor, accordingly to create a greater society as a whole. Sometimes we are so selfishly cheap, we as Americans never realize the obligation to create an even greater society by investing financially in America's future. The advantages of having an educated society far outweighs not having a greater percentage of our citizens educated. As a nation the higher we raise our standards as a nation, the better able we are to compete in world of... well, almost everything from politics to moon! Great men and women have risen from all stratas of our society, and from every ethnic and political background. We must always strive for greater contributions to humanity, or knowledge be futile in the face of ignorance, chaining us to history.

  • March 15, 2008

    4:39 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    marksoco writes:

    Wow! Just to set the record straight, Colorado ranks 49th in the country in per-student spending in higher ed. To me, that's absolutely appalling. In 1972, higher ed accounted for 27% of the entire state budget. Today, it accounts for 11.5%. Over $1 billion in annual state dollars has been diverted from higher ed to prisons and medicaid. $120 million has been cut from higher ed between 2001 to 2005. This is simply a reaction to make ends meet because the state would rather spend $50K a year on a prisoner, than a few extra thousand on each student. Before you dis this legislation, check out the rates in some other states. Colorado, based on quality of living and environment, will still be a heck of a bargain.

  • March 16, 2008

    8:38 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    glowrock writes:

    Education in Colorado's colleges is still a bargain compared with most other states' colleges and universities. Heck, my tuition and fees back over 10 years ago when I was at University of New Hampshire was more than CU's is currently!

  • March 16, 2008

    9:46 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    Creative_N_Denver writes:

    I agree that colleges here in Colorado are a great bargain, but only for those who are able to get Grants, Scholarship and Sallimae loans. If you are a recent graduate from High School and or a Minority getting an affordable education is alot easier. Sallimae has not raised their allowable loan amounts in years. They do not reflect the inflation of our economy- (I know they lend the money, so they make the rules)

    It would be nice to see the actual dollar amounts for their reasons for raising tuition.

  • March 16, 2008

    10:08 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    NeilC writes:

    When the going gets tough, America's civil service bureaucracy are increasing their share of the nation's wealth. Sure we've all seen that small minority of professors who really put out for their students and earn their keep. Bur, too many professors have become 'first rate' complainers, not 'first rate' educators. And many have never worked and actually succeeded in a normal, competitive work environment. At a time when many Americans are receiving 'pink slips' and reduced benefits, it is time for America to rebel against this professorial bureaucracy.

    The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported in 2006 that the average civil service employee received 48.9% greater salaries and benefits remuneration than employees in the private sector ($78,853 to $54,192). So much for our hypothetical 'market-based' economy. Meanwhile, the Employee Benefits Research Institute (EBRI)reports that 85% of all pension benefits go to public sector employees. That's a disgrace.

    It's time that our politicians and civil service employees become a part America.

  • March 16, 2008

    11:39 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    gethoht writes:

    Education and especially higher education should be one of colorado's, if not america's top priorities. Our education system is the laughing stock of the first world. How about taxing all that energy development on the western slope? If we taxed energy development at the levels that states like WY and NM tax it, there'd be more money in the state coffers, and one could hope that money could go towards subsidizing education. Eastvail, I don't think you realize the benefits of higher education. Higher education leads to less crime, more high paying jobs, and a smarter populace. There is no downside to more people in college. In terms of how expensive college is in colorado, it might be a deal when compared to alot of schools in new england, but compared to florida, new york, or just about any western state(MT, WY, ID, CA just off the top of my head) it's a fair bit more expensive.

  • March 16, 2008

    1:17 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    mtnboy75 writes:

    Wow...I can't believe some of the things I am reading...Tax the development on the Western slope? We are starting to get some of these companies to set up shop in Denver (Encana, Conoco Phillips, Rio Tinto, etc.) A favorable tax environment equals more business esablished equals higher tax revenue through a more productive economy...not higher taxes through higher income tax percentage...which is an extremely short sighted solution.

    Capitalism at its finest...How about bloated government expenditures at its finest? Maybe its time to start figuring out where we can squeeze spending rather than finding more ways to squeeze the productive people in our economy (pretty soon its going to be like trying to squeeze blood out of a turnip).

    Higher education is a right to every American...sorry bud, you've got to earn it. If you have no money get a loan. Thats what I am I doing that right now. I work a 40 hour a week job and take classes at night. If you can't find ways to manage your time and energy, then an education probably won't do you much good.

  • March 16, 2008

    5:12 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    RG2008 writes:

    As cost of living goes through the roof for students the government wants to also increase their tuition. Give me a break. dont' forget those yearly increases are also compunding along with the interest on everyoens student loans!

    As for subsidising education? Why not? at least they are generating more tax payers instead of more prisonsers!

  • March 16, 2008

    8:47 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    gethoht writes:

    mtnboy75,

    The energy companies aren't going anywhere. They go where the gas/oil/etc is, I say tax the piss out of em, because they're not playing by free market rules to begin with. Supply and demand doesn't apply to energy companies, they can pretty much just charge whatever they want regardless of market circumstances, and congress and the government just looks the other way as the american public gets fleeced.

    Capitalism at it's finest? Start paying attention, seriously. We have companies like bear stearns getting billion dollar loans backed by the fed because they don't have to play by the same rules that me and you do(market discipline). We have oil companies that are making record profits year after year, while GETTING SUBSIDIES FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. Wakey wakey mtnboy75... the same people that preach about the free market are the same ones with their hands out. You think social welfare is bad, take a look at corporate welfare, which is rampant and on the rise, even with companies that are making money hand over fist(i.e. oil).

    Watch as the middle class disappears(it has been since the 50's). The rich get richer and the poor get poorer. All because of "business friendly" legislation that reduces regulation(i.e. all those pesky regulations that bush got rid of in regards to predatory lending practices, we can clearly see the lovely outcome of that). Don't get me wrong it's not just bush and the neocons... the whole of american government has been doing this for the better part of it's history, with a few notable exceptions. Corporatocracy is the name of the game. It's easy to see if you're paying attention.

  • March 16, 2008

    10:24 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    mtnboy75 writes:

    Getholt,

    I think you and I agree on half the matter. I'm not too fond of corporate subsidies, either. Like the working class, the government gets its fair share of taxes out of big businesses. If your argument is specifically aimed at the energy companies, I hope that you've at least been paying enough attention to realize that our main problem isn't tht the energy prices are going up, but more so that the value of our dollar is going down.

    I'm not to happy about the government taking 200 billion (equivalent to 3% of M2)in worthless collateral from Wall Street either. I would rather see Wall Street fail than watch the value of my hard earned money drop by 15-20% per year. The sad thing is is that the only solution I ever seem to hear is that we need to increase taxes. What ever happened to responsible spending???

    Maybe I didn't get my point across the first time, but there seemed to be a lot of individuals out there that feel like they are entitled to something. As long as the majority has that attitude, we will fail as a country.

  • March 17, 2008

    9:04 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    Scott writes:

    A lot of excellent cost cutting ideas have already been mentioned, e.g. flushing the ethnic studies department down the commode.

    However, for those of you who feel that <insert special interest group here> should be able to get a free ride or at least a cost reduced ride I have a suggestion. Have <insert special interest group here> raise their right hand and swear (or affirm) to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States from all enemies foreign and domestic.

    It's really quite simple. A LOT of us (me included) have done this and received a monthly stipend while in college, i.e. G.I Bill. On top of it, the Colorado Nation Guard will pay up to 100% of your tuition to state supported schools (see: http://www.dmva.state.co.us/page/ta ), e.g. Coke U. in ADDITION to the G. I. Bill!

    What a deal!
    Scott

  • March 17, 2008

    3 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    Scott writes:

    Here are two young men that won't be whimpering and whining about college tuition http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news...

    Just think of the "fun" they will be able to give the political "science" and other draft-dodger course professors when they come back and enroll ;-)

    Scott