Tuition increase of $236 expected
Full-time students can expect to pay $236 more in tuition next year. This increase equals a 7 percent increase over this year’s tuition.
The increase is divided between the Tier I and the Tier II increase. Tier I is a state-mandated increase for all higher education institutions and constitutes 4 percent of the increase, said Bill Jensen, associate registrar. Tier II is issued by the university and makes up the remaining 3 percent.
“This is probably the smallest increase we’ve had in tuition in several years,” Jensen said.
He said the increase last year was 8 percent, and the year before it was a 9 3/4 percent increase.
Other increases around the state vary from 4 percent for College of Eastern Utah to 9 percent at Dixie State College. University of Utah has a 7.5 percent overall increase, and Weber and Southern Utah University tied with USU for a 7 percent increase.
Jenn Putnam, director of admissions, said the administration does a good job of keeping USU at having one of the lower overall increases. She said USU President Stan Albrecht doesn’t want the students to have to pay for everything even though the university has needs and projects that require funding.
“President Albrecht is very much committed to keeping (the Tier II increase) as small as he can,” Jensen said.
Tier II has stayed at a fairly steady increase over the past five years since its initiation, and Putnam said she feels good about where the university is overall. Tier II was put into place to allow universities the flexibility to fund their own projects.
Putnam said she has seen this increase be up to 16 percent at other universities in the state. Add this onto the mandatory Tier I increase, which usually stays around 4 percent, and tuition could go up as much as 20 percent in a year.
The funding coming from the Tier II increase stays on campus and is used for student initiatives and administration projects approved by the students. Comparatively, Tier I goes into a state “pot” and is then given back to the university in its budget by the state, Putnam said.
As tuition increases, so does the funding necessary for full-tuition scholarships. Yet this increase doesn’t decrease the number of full-tuition scholarships the university offers, said Taya Flores, scholarship counselor. She also said the university isn’t increasing the amount given for flat-rate scholarships.
Increases in tuition are common for almost all college students, but those at USU can keep in mind they have a smaller increase than others.
“Utah State is one of the best buys you can find,” Putnam said.
-albaugh@cc.usu.edu