March 14, 2002|By Larry Carson | Larry Carson,SUN STAFF
For students, the tuition increase is a mixed bag. Some, like Kari Vandergrift of Columbia, said their parents pay the bills, so they're not worried. Eric Silvoy of North Laurel, however, works at a gas station to pay his expenses at Howard Community College.
"It's going to add up after a while," he said.
Prince George's County is also likely to increase tuition rates $5 a credit, said college President Ronald Williams, who is looking at a $1.1 million decrease in funding, plus a capital budget cut that could block construction of a technology building on campus.
"You have something in place today -- it's gone tomorrow," Williams said, noting that a renovation project in his budget was removed by the Board of Public Works this week.
Carroll Community College President Faye Pappalardo said tuition -- $79 a credit, one of the higher rates in the state -- would likely have to rise again by an unspecified amount.
Montgomery College -- the state's largest -- is about to begin work on a three-building, $88 million campus straddling the Metro line in Silver Spring, but spokesman Stephen Simon said Glendening has pulled back money for a footbridge over the tracks to connect the campus.
Tuition is scheduled to increase $2 a credit next year but might have to rise more if the college doesn't get the $2.7 million in state money officials had expected.
Sun staff writer Laura Vozzella contributed to this article.
