IU Southeast’s tuition was raised 3.3 percent, a rate which will continue for the next two years. The proposal was approved by the IU Board of Trustees on May 31.
Due to lack of funding, the university has experienced a reduction of $1.7 million in state appropriation for this biennium and the next.
Full-time students will now pay $6,364.80 for tuition and fees in 2011-12.
Although instructional fees increased by 2.5 percent, there was also new Repair and Rehabilitation fee, which added $60 for the year. For 2012-13, the cost will be $120.
“We have maintenance needs and building needs to be met, but we don’t have funding to take care of it, so that temporary R&R fee is intended to provide funding until the state restores R&R funding,” Dana Wavle, vice chancellor of Administrative Affairs, said.
Wavle said the fee will be temporary until state-funded R&R is restored. The added cost will go toward repairing safety systems, heating and cooling infrastructures and building windows and doors.
“The real danger is if we don’t do it, we create an unsafe environment, and it becomes more expensive over time. This is just good stewardship,” he said.
Josh Kornberg, communications senior and SGA president, said while he knows students will not be happy with the decision, he thinks they will understand.
“We all know that the economy is not in the greatest of conditions, and it’s really hard to expect our university to continue to excel without continued funding,” Kornberg said.
Kornberg said he did think there are some fees the university is charging for that they could cut the cost on.
“One of the things specifically would be the new fee for jumping cars,” he said. “The little fees like that are not necessary. We can really stay within our same budget that we have had.”
Wavle said, while he knows students are not happy with the increase, he thinks they are aware that tuition is rising.
“We are still more competitive than UofL, and we’re even cheaper than Ivy Tech,” he said. “When you net our financial aid and scholarships, it’s a great deal.”
Kornberg said he also agrees that students are still getting a better deal coming to IU Southeast.
For students who are unhappy with the increase decision, Kornberg said students should take an active role in talking to state legislators.
“That’s the only place that a problem like this can get fixed, when we start understanding how this is really impacting the college student with their cuts for higher education,” he said.
By CLAIRE MUNN
Senior Editor
clamunn@umail.iu.edu
