Gamble Proposes 2 Percent University of Alaska Tuition Hike

Tools

By Jeff Richardson - Fairbanks Daily News-Miner / jrichardson@newsminer.com

Story Created: Jun 29, 2012 at 8:30 AM AKDT

Story Updated: Jun 29, 2012 at 8:33 AM AKDT

FAIRBANKS — University of Alaska President Pat Gamble is proposing a 2 percent tuition increase for the 2013-14 school year, a hike that would raise yearly undergraduate tuition costs to nearly $5,600 a year.

Gamble proposed the tuition plan Thursday for students at the 16 UA campuses. It will go before the UA Board of Regents for consideration in September.

If approved, the tuition hike would be the lowest increase in more than a decade. Regents approved a 7 percent increase for undergraduates for the upcoming 2012-13 school year, along with a 3 percent increase for graduate students.

For a student taking a typical 15-credit course load each semester, divided equally between upper- and lower-division classes, Gamble’s proposal would mean a yearly $5,580 tuition bill in 2013-14. A graduate student taking nine credits a semester would pay $7,038.

Tuition currently makes up about 12 percent of the total UA budget, and Gamble warned that adjustments will need to be made elsewhere to offset a lower-than-normal tuition hike.

“There is no free lunch,” Gamble said in a statement. “When we squeeze this balloon, it expands the dollar shortfall to be made up elsewhere in our system.”

UA Associate Vice President Saichi Oba said the system’s overall expenses are climbing at an annual rate of 3 percent to 5 percent a year, mostly a result of inflation, personnel costs and higher energy costs. He said UA will work to find additional money by controlling costs, and that no plan to ask for additional funds from the Legislature has been discussed.

Oba said Gamble made a point of limiting tuition costs in his proposal after a decade of “fairly aggressive” increases. Tuition rates have roughly doubled at UA in the past decade.

“This is something he’s always had his eye on, in terms of how we can reduce an increase to students,” he said.

Even after a decade of steady increases, UA remains competitive with its counterparts both regionally and nationally, Oba said.

The UA system is currently ranked 10th among 15 Western states among tuition costs at four-year public universities, with Alaska students paying about $1,500 less than the average yearly bill for the region. The national average is higher, at $8,200 per year in tuition.

Contact Fairbanks Daily News-Miner staff writer Jeff Richardson at 907-459-7518.

You have indicated this comment should be removed.

Close

The comment has been submitted for review. Thank you .

MW said on Friday, Jun 29 at 9:49 AM

Squeeze the balloon all you want! When you continue to raise the tuition on students(and their parents) your University isn’t going to seem like much of a deal and they will go elsewhere.

94954316
Inappropriate? Alert Us!

guest said on Saturday, Jun 30 at 2:23 PM

Perhaps using that money for Free airfare use it for tuition.... takes alot of nerve to announce both in the span of two weeks... No to higher tuition..

95046911
Inappropriate? Alert Us!

Stefanie Armstrong said on Saturday, Jun 30 at 11:01 PM

Recently I was outside of a certain Professors office. The staff there were discussing their "dinner meetings" for the week. They had been to 4 resturants in 5 days with a group of 5 professors within the UAA department. All 5 were interviewing a potential professor for their lower division courses. The professors were eating out on UAA's tab and doing it up in hte highest of style. Simon's & Seforts, SeaGalley, Orso's, etc. I'd have to say, if this is the general practice of all of the Department heads then maybe we should no increase the tuition but decrease the business meeting budgets clear across the board! I am a full time student during the year, and work part time, this summer I'm a full-time student and a full time employee as an intern. I am apauld at this practice. I don't think that my professors should be using my tution money to pay for their completely bogus dinner meetings that should be done on campus.

95070866
Inappropriate? Alert Us!

Add a comment

Name:

Comment: 1000 Characters Left

KTVA CBS 11 | Anchorage, Alaska News and Weather and its affiliated companies are not responsible for the content of comments posted or for anything arising out of use of the above comments or other interaction among the users. We reserve the right to screen, refuse to post, remove or edit user-generated content at any time and for any or no reason in our absolute and sole discretion without prior notice, although we have no duty to do so or to monitor any Public Forum.
This content requires the latest Adobe Flash Player and a browser with JavaScript enabled. Click here for a free download of the latest Adobe Flash Player.