Tuition Increase

Despite already high tuition, Howard Community College's trustees are preparing to raise the rates in order to give faculty members at the growing college a pay raise next fiscal year. College board Chairman T. James Truby said with state and county revenues flat or falling, the only way the college can avoid forcing instructors to go without even a minimal cost-of-living increase for a second year is by increasing the $114-per-credit tuition charge perhaps as much as $5 a credit.

Even by the standards of the 2010 governor's race, in which we've grown accustomed to each candidate claiming that whatever the other one did was wrong, former Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr.'s contention that Gov. Martin O'Malley's success in freezing public university tuition for four years has been a bad thing sounds pretty odd, especially coming from a guy who oversaw a 40 percent increase in tuition in three years. But it's not quite as crazy as it sounds. Mr. Ehrlich's view of the situation is that many Maryland families can, relatively easily, pay the full freight for in-state students at the University System of Maryland's schools, which top out at $6,763 at the flagship campus in College Park.

The University System of Maryland Board of Regents approved Friday a 3 percent tuition increase for in-state, full-time undergraduate students, ending a four-year freeze. The increase, which takes effect in the fall, is expected to raise revenue by $39.1 million, or 3.3 percent, over fiscal year 2010. "There was a very healthy discussion, but the board was satisfied and voted in support," said Chancellor William E. Kirwan, adding that the board agreed that given the recession, "ending the freeze was reasonable."

The University System of Maryland Board of Regents approved Friday a 3 percent tuition increase for in-state, full-time undergraduate students, ending a four-year freeze. The increase, which takes effect in the fall, is expected to raise revenue by $39.1 million, or 3.3 percent, over fiscal year 2010. "There was a very healthy discussion, but the board was satisfied and voted in support," said Chancellor William E. Kirwan, adding that the board agreed that given the recession, "ending the freeze was reasonable."

St. Mary's College, the public liberal arts campus in Southern Maryland that attracts some of the state's top students, is expected to announce a $200 tuition increase today that, combined with mandatory fees, would make it the most expensive public campus in Maryland.The tuition increase follows a 70 percent jump in student fees this summer and brings the basic cost of attending the 1,500-student campus to $3,210 per year. That's 20 percent more than the highest price charged by any campus in the state university system.

Harford Community College president Richard Pappas said he needed a $10 tuition increase for the spring semester to help balance a deficit created by state aid cuts.The school's Board of Trustees gave him $13 per credit hour.Board chairman Nicholas L. Gounaris said it was worth the extra $90,000 the higher fee will raise to avoid seven to eight layoffs thatwould have led to cuts in computer laboratory time, library hours and clerical support."We are not fulfilling our obligations if we are standing still or falling backward," he said.

An infusion of state money over the past two years allowed Carroll Community College to hold steady with the second-lowest tuition in the state -- $48 per credit hour.But with prospects dim for getting more state money this year, the college's proposed 1996 budget includes a tuition increase of $5 per credit hour, to $53, which takes effect July 1 if the budget is approved in the spring by the County Commissioners."Tuition is the last revenue source we evaluate," said Alan Schuman, Carroll's vice president for administration.

The first tuition increase at Anne Arundel Community College in five years is looking inevitable."I think it is time for a tuition increase," County Executive Janet S. Owens said yesterday.Owens and some County Council members say the college's board of trustees will probably have to raise tuition because the county cannot continue to pour money into the college and also fund a huge school board budget."I am trying to address the [kindergarten through grade 12] problem," Owens said. "It's not that I don't care about the community college.

Essex Community College today made various proposals to raise tuition, furlough workers and eliminate certain classes in an effort to meet $3 million in budget cuts imposed by Gov. William Donald Schaefer.Layoffs are not among the cost-cutting measures outlined in three formal budget scenarios that Essex plans to submit to the Baltimore County Board of Community College Trustees, according to Richard L. Trent, a college spokesman.However, the proposals include imposing a parking fee, closing off-campus centers and curtailing classes for senior citizens.

The Maryland Court of Appeals upheld yesterday a ruling rejecting an attempt by University System of Maryland students to challenge a midyear tuition increase assessed at short notice during the winter break last year. The students had sued in Baltimore Circuit Court to block the 5 percent tuition increase, arguing that colleges were violating a contract with students by charging more for the spring semester than advertised. The appeals court agreed with the lower court that tuition rates listed on bills at the start of the school year didn't amount to a contract.

Howard Community College officials are proposing a $2-per-credit tuition increase for next year, though that could change depending on possible state and county budget cuts. With new funds in short supply despite continually growing enrollment, the college is facing a squeeze in which full-time faculty is shrinking compared with part-time, or adjunct, professors, and college leaders are looking for a way to make what board Chairman T. James Truby called "a gesture" toward the faculty and high-quality instruction.

HCC considers tuition increase Community College officials consider a $2-per-credit tuition increase in order to hire more full-time faculty. PG 2 Recovery: An economist tells county officials that the county will be "awash" in jobs by 2012. The next fiscal year, however, remains difficult. PG 2 General assembly: The county's local delegation would support legislation to make referendum drives easier, but only one delegate would make the change retroactive.

Gov. Martin O'Malley called for a "moderate" increase in public university tuition on Wednesday as state lawmakers gathered in Annapolis for the opening of a 90-day legislative session sure to be dominated by bleak financial choices. The top task for lawmakers will be plugging a $2 billion hole in the state's $13 billion operating budget, meaning they'll make the latest round of steep cuts in an election year. The Democratic governor, who has prided himself on fulfilling his campaign promise to hold the line on college tuition increases, said the "brutal economy" and pressure by the university system and other state officials led him to believe a freeze he built into each of his previous spending plans should end. Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller, a Democrat, called it a "major concession" from O'Malley, who like all 188 state delegates and senators is up for re-election this fall.

Despite already high tuition, Howard Community College's trustees are preparing to raise the rates in order to give faculty members at the growing college a pay raise next fiscal year. College board Chairman T. James Truby said with state and county revenues flat or falling, the only way the college can avoid forcing instructors to go without even a minimal cost-of-living increase for a second year is by increasing the $114-per-credit tuition charge perhaps as much as $5 a credit.

A furlough plan for state university employees could begin early next month and require top administrators to take as many as 10 unpaid days under guidelines approved Friday by the University System of Maryland's Board of Regents. The regents gave university presidents flexibility to tailor furlough plans to the needs of each campus, but the vast majority of the system's more than 21,000 employees will feel the effects. Details are not final, but Chancellor William E. Kirwan said he expects to receive plans from each president early next week and will probably approve them by the end of the month.

In-state tuition at Maryland's public colleges and universities could go up by as much as 5.5 percent in the fall to help cope with the state's fiscal stress -- breaking a 5-year-old pledge to limit increases in higher-education charges. Joseph Vivona, a university system vice chancellor, told a Board of Regents committee yesterday that Gov. Parris N. Glendening's proposed budget includes a 1.5 percent extra tuition increase for the 2002-2003 school year. The increase would provide an additional $7.7 million in state revenue, he said, and would come on top of tuition increases approved in August for the 2002-2003 school year by the Board of Regents.