Staff WriterThe State University of New York's Board of Trustees approved a $1,400 increase in tuition for in-state students last week. The proposed 41 percent increase would be the largest tuition jump in SUNY history.
The hike was requested by SUNY's 2003-04 budget request Jan. 17, and would raise annual tuition at four-year campuses to $4,800 next September from $3,400. The proposed increase, which is part of a zero-growth budget, would keep last year's $1.9 billion budget for operated campuses level for 2003-04.
"Personally, I am appalled at the proposed tuition increase. $1,400 per year extra is simply more than your average Binghamton student can afford to pay, and will have a detrimental impact on the SUNY system as a whole," said Joshua Shapiro, executive vice president for BU's Student Association.
"The increase is to close the budget gap in core instructional budget," said SUNY spokesman, David Henahan.
The proposed tuition raise would be SUNY's first in seven years. This proposal is nearly double the $750 increase the last time SUNY raised tuition, in 1995.
Though there have been no tuition increases, according to New York Public Interest Research Group there has been a 128 percent increase in SUNY fees since the last tuition hike, and fees at each of SUNY's four university centers increased nearly 137 percent.
"We are concerned with maintaining funding for the university so that we can continue to do the good things that we do," said Vice President for Administration Anthony Ferrara. "If that means a tuition increase, then we'll have to wait and see what the board decides to do."
"The increase is prepared to protect the gains in quality we have made," Henahan said.
The board backed the proposed tuition increase 14-2. Only George H. Pape Jr., president of SUNY's Student Assembly, and Candace de Russy voted against the budget and tuition resolution, saying that it would push SUNY tuition beyond the reach of many students.
"The University has little to do with the decision - we figure out what the impact is," Ferrara said. "Without an increase [in tuition] we may be forced to make major changes, which would be more challenging."
"I would rather see us raising tuition even at inflationary rates every year rather than hit our students with a 30 or 40 percent increase. That's not, to some extent, a rational policy," Ferrera said.
According to a press release from the Board of Trustees, had SUNY tuition simply kept pace with the higher education price index and public tuition rates nationally since 1995, annual tuition would range from $4,600 to $5,400 by fall of 2003.
"If you look at total tuition and fees over the past several years, SUNY's increases have been much less than almost every other major state institution in the country," Ferrera said. "The public institutions have been doing 5 to 10 percent increases almost every year. Overall, we have not had the increase in tuition that our colleagues across the country have had."
"In looking at tuition we looked at our peers and what is equitable for students," Henahan said.
SUNY tuition for state residents at four-year colleges is currently just below the national public college average of $3,500 a year.
The increase would have no effect on SUNY's 30 community colleges. Local community college boards set their own tuition rates.
The last time SUNY increased tuition, system-wide enrollment dropped by five percent over two years, but that was not the case at Binghamton University. Undergraduate enrollment here increased from 9,281 in 1995 to 9,349 in 1996.
The tuition increase is subject to review by Republican Gov. George Pataki and the state Legislature at the governor's upcoming executive budget review on Jan. 29. Currently there is an estimated $10 billion to $12 billion deficit in the state budget which totals almost $90 billion.
State Legislature would have to approve any increase in the SUNY budget.
"Obviously we are anxiously waiting to see what Gov. Pataki is going to say. Its harder to speculate at this time what impact its going to have on students, particularly those who have financial aid," Chavez said.
Cuts To Tuition Aid May Follow
SUNY officials have also said New York's Tuition Assistance Plan will cover much of the tuition increase for many low-income students. According to a board of trustees press release, under the current TAP program more than half of SUNY undergraduates receive TAP, and 60 percent of those TAP recipients would see no increase in their tuition.
The New York Times reported Friday that Gov. Pataki will propose decreasing state tuition aid next year by as much as half. The cuts would result in a reduction in aid of $2,400 for SUNY if the tuition increase passes. Those same students now receive the full tuition price of $3,400. The cutbacks would affect about 300,000 students, said the Times, Jan. 24, 2003.
Director of Financial Aid at BU, Dennis Chavez said, "At this point, it's hard to tell because there are so many unanswered questions. We don't know how much the increase is going to be. On one hand they could balance it off and say if there is a tuition increase there will be an increase in TAP. On the other hand it could be partial."
In a NYPIRG press release in reference to budget priorities, the group expressed concerns that an increase in tuition could lead to cuts in financial aid programs and may deter students from attending college.
Even if the proposed increase was approved, Chavez believes, "Higher ed is still a valuable investment."
About 51 percent of BU's 10,328 students receive some TAP money. The average award is $1,700.
"Right now they only thing I can tell families is 'don't panic', but to file their financial aid applications early," Chavez recommended.
"Fortunately we don't start possessing financial aid until March. By then we will have a better sense of what the policies are," Chavez said.
In the mean time, Financial Aid is offering a seminar on Feb. 1 to help families with their financial aid applications.
