Tuesday's Internet Edition, September 07, 2010.
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News editor - Central Texas College Board of Trustees voted last week to increase tuition fees this fall when rates increase by $8 per hour.
The CTC board of trustees approved the hike to $30 per credit hour to help cushion the anticipated loss of state appropriations.
Before proposing the tuition increase, Dr. James Anderson, CTC chancellor, told the board that the school stands to lose between about $8 million and $20 million over the next two years as the state seeks ways to address its budget shortfall.
The $8-per-hour tuition hike equates to a $1.7 annual revenue increase. In comparison, Anderson said Temple Community College was eyeing a $13-per-hour increase.
Until the state approves its budget, Anderson said he could only estimate the total effect of state cuts for CTC.
Although spending reductions will be considered as the school begins its budget process, Anderson said the tuition decision needed to be made now so customers could be notified.
Besides direct state funding cuts, Anderson said the college also would feel a loss as the Gatesville prison system handles its own funding dilemmas by cutting academic programs now provided by CTC. A 20 percent drop in enrollment due to troop deployments was also assumed in the school’s overall funding scenario.
“I really hate the idea of raising tuition,” trustee Mari Meyer said after the 5-1 vote, with Don Armstrong in opposition. “But I do not want to hurt the quality that is a trait of this institution.”