FVCC price raise approved
Meeting at Flathead Valley Community College, the Montana Board of Regents on Friday unanimously approved the local college’s request for a 2.1 percent increase in tuition along with 4.89 and 8.45 percent increases respectively for Dawson and Miles community colleges beginning this fall.
Regents also accepted the fee increases of 1.82 percent for FVCC, 11.63 percent for Dawson and 2.33 percent for Miles community colleges.
The upward adjustments in fees and tuition translate to a semester cost for a full-time in-district student of $1,828 at FVCC, $1,541 at Dawson in Glendive and $1,815 at Miles in Miles City.
Discussing the tuition requests, Regent Chairman Clayton Christian of Missoula said the board remains committed to maintaining access and affordability at the community colleges. He said the amounts submitted embraced the regents’ goals of keeping costs down.
“I know these are well thought out,” Christian said.
FVCC President Jane Karas told regents the recommendations came from an extensive process involving a college budget committee of student, faculty and staff, as well as student forums and emails to students.
She said many students said they understood that inflation forced the college to raise costs but others wanted no increases.
Karas said the $2 increase per credit was manageable for most while the college has many types of financial assistance to aid those who can’t afford the new tuition and fees.
Dawson Community College President Jim Cargill justified the 4.89 increase by pointing out the school had not had an increase in four years. He said the school remains the lowest cost of the three colleges by several hundred dollars.
Miles Community College asked for an 8.45 percent increase for next fall with a lower 2.6 percent increase for the second year of the biennium. FVCC has its tuition request reviewed by the regents on a yearly basis.
Regent Todd Buchanan of Billings, an opponent to many cost adjustments, said he had trust in the decisions about fee and tuition increases by boards of trustees with recently elected members. He said he yielded to the locally elected boards.
He complimented the community colleges for the quality of their communications with the Board of Regents.
Regent Stephen Barrett of Billings pointed out that inflation did not stop in the last few years for schools without tuition increases.
“We have to look at tuition as more of a moving picture than a snapshot,” he said.
The regents voted unanimously to approve the recommended tuition increases.
FVCC’s Board of Trustees accepted the president’s recommendations for fiscal year 2012’s tuition and fees at a special meeting Monday. Important factors were a projected slight decrease in enrollment bringing in less tuition and state funding as well as an expected weakening of the value of the mill bringing in few local tax dollars to support the college.
In the discussion of fee increases, Deputy Commissioner for Fiscal Affairs Mick Robinson said he had asked all schools to take a conservative approach to fee increases. He set a threshold of 2 percent or less.
Dawson Community College submitted two significant increases of $60 for a technical fee and $15 for a library fee per semester. Cargill responded that the technical fee would move the college up to a four-year cycle for replacing computers.
“We’re now on a six-year cycle which is not acceptable to students,” he said.
The library fee would cover inflation in prices for items like periodicals.
Cargill said he spent a lot of time looking at all the fees paid by students before requesting the 11.63 percent increase. He said science and lab fees were major drivers.
“Cadaver prices are going up rapidly,” he said, getting a laugh from the regents and audience.
The cost of field trips also have increased due to the price of gas and Dawson moving from 15-passenger vehicles to smaller vehicles.
Buchanan was the only dissenting vote on fee approvals.
Reporter Candace Chase may be reached at 758-4436 or by email at cchase@dailyinterlake.com.