College OKs 21 percent tuition increase
Full-time FVCC students will pay more this fall
Flathead Valley Community College trustees approved a 21 percent increase in tuition and fees for fall.
College President Jane Karas said rising costs such as utilities, health benefits and liability insurance, combined with less-than-expected revenue from the state, forced the college to ask students to share more of the cost of their education.
"The tuition increase didn't offset all of the shortfall," Karas told trustees Monday.
To keep the in-district, full-time tuition-and-fee increase to $267.85 a semester, Karas said the college cut costs by using such measures as not filling open positions.
Before the vote, Karas said she asked for student reactions through a forum and 400 e-mails.
"Although no one wants to pay more, no one said they couldn't support it," she said.
She said that one student replied by e-mail that the increase presented a hardship, but added that she understood that the college must meet rising expenses.
A student at the president's forum said he had paid $800 in tuition per-credit at colleges in Oregon and Washington. The new per-credit cost here equates to $80 for in-district, $122 for out-of-district and $300 for out-of-state students.
"He said, 'For what you pay here, the quality of education far surpasses what I had at the other schools,'" Karas said.
Community colleges weren't included in the governor's tuition-cap plan, which provided money to help four-year institutions limit tuition increases. Negotiations were started too late to reach an agreement with the community colleges.
"Throughout the legislative session, we shared with the Legislature that we weren't included in the tuition cap," Karas said.
Although the college gained a fairer method for calculating the true cost of education, the Legislature dropped the percentage it pays from 53 percent this year to 48.5 percent next year.
In the fall, a full-time student - carrying 14-18 credit hours - will pay $1,540 in tuition and fees per semester, compared with $1,272.15 this spring.
Because of the revenue problems, Karas said the college may not be able to add new programs without cutting something else. However, she said approved areas of study, such as the pharmacy tech program, were included in this budget.
Trustee Bob Nystuen asked Karas what the college could do to mitigate the impact on students. She said the financial aid office could develop a package of loans and scholarships to help most students.
"We also do payment plans, and we don't charge interest," she said.
Karas said the other two Montana community colleges also face increasing their tuitions and fees. Large jumps in tuition at four-year colleges in recent years still make community colleges a bargain.
"We still end up being in the bottom quarter in tuition and fees in the state," Karas said.
Because early registration begins next week, trustees had to set tuition and fees at their April meeting. The Board of Regents also needed the amount set for review at its May meeting.
New fee amounts include $8 for technology, $2 for grounds and maintenance, and $4 for equipment, per credit. The $14 building and $2 activity per-credit fees remain the same.
Trustees unanimously approved the increases. Karas said a last-minute revenue gift from the Legislature, depending on the amount, would help restore some of the cuts but likely would not change the tuition and fee increases.
Reporter Candace Chase may be reached at 758-4436 or by e-mail at cchase@dailyinterlake.com.