FVCC tuition, fees going up this fall

Flathead Valley Community College students will experience an increase in their college expenses this fall.

The college board of trustees voted unanimously Monday afternoon to increase tuition by $2.40 per credit hour and fees by 60 cents for the 2016-17 school year. The board also voted to increase the mandatory technology fee by $2.30 per credit.

FVCC President Jane Karas said the total increase for students each semester will be $33.60 in tuition and $8.40 in fees.

“We know that’s a challenge for some students, but … we’ll work with any student who has a challenge to come up with that extra $42 per semester to ensure that they are able to attend college,” Karas said.

Her estimate did not include the higher technology fee.

The increases were recommended by the FVCC Budget Committee during its April meeting. The committee is made up of faculty members, staffers and students and meets on a regular basis to evaluate the cost of tuition compared to the school’s annual expenditures.

Karas said there had been no public opposition to the increase and the FVCC student government unanimously supported the move.

To introduce the cost increase to the campus, the college held a student forum. Three students attended and none spoke against the increase, Karas said.

The administration also sent emails announcing the recommendation to every person enrolled in courses. Karas said only one student responded to the email, expressing support for the tuition raise but questioning whether the fee increases were necessary.

“Those were the only comments we had of about 3,000 students,” Karas said. “So, you can tell it wasn’t a very critical issue and that students were supportive.”

The move will raise tuition to $105 per credit for in-district students, $154 for out-of-district and $360 for out-of-state students.

Karas said the technology fee increase was requested by the students on the committee. She said distance learners currently carry the burden of paying for online courses with a $30-per-credit distance education fee. However, most classes use the technology attached to the fee, she said.

In response, the board voted to reduce the distance fee to $15 for the fall semester and require all students to pay for the technology.

For the 2017 fall semester, the board voted to eliminate the distance learning fee and increase the technology fee by another $2.30. Karas said the increase will be revenue-neutral.

Board member Thomas Harding said even with the increase, FVCC tuition and fees fall in the middle compared to other colleges in the state.

He said the college has asked for small increases over time in recent years, as opposed to a large and sudden increase every five years.

“There’s been a consistency, which has kept us abreast of the costs that transpire every year,” Harding said. He said the trend has allowed students to know what to expect.

This will be the second year in a row the college has raised tuition. Tuition was frozen the previous two years.

Trustee Mark Holston said while no one enjoys increasing tuition, it needed to happen.

“We have a few factors: One, the students themselves are supporting it, or no one opposing it spoke up. And two, we have types of aid to help people over the hump if people find it a hardship,” Holston said. “And this increase will keep the books balanced.”

In other news from Monday’s meeting, the board’s Finance and Audit Committee reported that the college has $462,750 remaining in its general fund to be spent by June 30.

Trustees also voted to remove several college programs. The decisions were made based on recommendations of the Curriculum Committee, which evaluates program relevance and what employers are looking for.

The board unanimously voted to remove the following programs:

• Health Information Technology Implementation and Maintenance Specialist Certificate.

• Medical Transcription, Certificate of Applied Science.

• Business Administration, Certificate of Applied Science.

• Marketing/Sales Specialist, Certificate of Applied Science.

• Business Innovation and Development, Certificate of Applied Science.

The board also voted to add two certificates, a Certificate of Applied Science and an Associates of Applied Science, to the existing certificate program in Industrial Maintenance.

Student will be able to work toward those certificates starting this fall.

Reporter Katheryn Houghton may be reached at 758-4436 or by email at khoughton@dailyinterlake.com.