On Friday morning, the University of Alabama System Board of Trustees will consider a proposal by campus administrators to increase in-state tuition from $7,000 to $7,900 for the 2010-2011 school year.
The proposed increase would be almost 13 percent and the largest single-year increase of in-state tuition in at least the last ten years.
Out-of-state tuition would increase by almost 7 percent, from $19,200 to $20,500.
“It’s a very in-depth process,” UA system spokeswoman Kellee Reinhart said of the methodology involved in determining tuition. She said tuition is determined by evaluating each campus’s needs, priorities and expenses compared to other sources of revenue.
“Tuition becomes one of the variables the UA administration can use to ensure they are maintaining quality and meeting the expectations of students,” she said.
Reinhart attributed much of the need for tuition increase to decreases in state funding in the last two years. Since 2008 the University of Alabama system has lost $170 million in state funding.
“That is directly due to the impact of the recession,” she said.
This year’s high proposed tuition increase may be in anticipation of further state cuts, she said. “They’re trying to ensure quality is not affected by the amount of state support.”
Reinhart said it is difficult to balance the needs of an expanding university with the stress tuition increases put on students and families. She said the University makes every effort to ensure that financial aid and scholarships increase at a similar rate to tuition.
Earlier this year Auburn University also set their 2010-2011 in-state tuition rate at $7,900. Out-of-state tuition is about $22,000.
In addition to determining tuition for all UA schools, the board will also vote on a proposal to build a new seven-story residence hall on northern campus. The dormitory, called North Bluffs Residential Community, would be located at the corner of Jack Warner Parkway and Old Hackerry Lane, behind Riverside North.
It would house 984 students and feature private rooms for students in two- and four-room residence halls, similar in style to Ridgecrest South. If approved, the $66 million project is scheduled to open in fall 2012.
“Demand for on-campus housing at UA is at an unprecedented level,” Reinhart said. She said the new dorm would help to both meet current demand and anticipate future enrollment growth.
The board will also vote on a resolution to demolish several buildings behind the President’s Mansion, including the Byrd Hall and Parker-Adams Hall dormitories. No timetable has been set for the demolition.
The board of trustees meetings will be held Thursday afternoon and Friday morning in the Bryant Conference Center. All meetings are open to the public. Visit thecrimsonwhite.com for a full schedule.
