Board to discuss possible tuition hike

MOSES LAKE - Possible tuition increases of up to 12 percent will be on the agenda when the state Board for Community and Technical Colleges meets today and tomorrow at Big Bend Community College, 7662 Chanute St. NE.

Sessions take place in the college library and adjoining meeting rooms.

The vote to approve or reject tuition increases occurs about 9:40 a.m. Thursday.

The tuition increase for 2012-13 would follow a 12 percent increase for the 2011-12 school year. The Washington Legislature authorized increases of up to 12 percent in both years of the 2011-13 state budget.

Higher education was not spared when state officials and legislators tried to close a budget shortfall in 2011. "There were very deep cuts to the community and technical college system," said Laura McDowell, communications director for the board.

The board's support staff has recommended approval of a 13 percent increase for full time students and an 11 percent increase for part-time students, which would average out to 12 percent.

If the recommendation is approved, a full time student taking 15 credits for three quarters would pay approximately $4,005 for the 2012-13 school year. The same student paid $3,542 in tuition for the 2011-12 school year.

If the proposal is approved, the increase in tuition would be more than 25 percent over a two-year period.

Big Bend President Bill Bonaudi said an increase in 2012-13 would mean two things. "It's going to make it more difficult to come to Big Bend to begin with," he said. It also means more students will have to take out student loans, he said.

"Both of those concern us," he said.

Bonaudi said he expected the 2011-12 increase would reduce student enrollment. "In fact it did not. I failed to appreciate how easy it is for students to acquire loans." However, student loans eventually have to be paid back, he said.

Unsurprisingly, Big Bend students didn't like the idea of tuition increases.

Sophomore Rhylee Ashby, of Moses Lake, was asked what more tuition would mean for her. "Stress," she said.

"I know it would mean more financial aid. I know that for a fact," said sophomore Tiffany Martinez, of Othello.

"I already have a lot of loans. I don't need to be paying more," said April Craig, a freshman from Moses Lake.

"I would think it would be hard (to pay additional tuition), especially for students like me that work," said Anthony Desoasido, a part-time student studying science.

Nevertheless community college students have an advantage over their colleagues at four-year universities, Martinez said. "It would suck paying for the classes you're taking at Big Bend at a university," she said.

The tuition increases haven't filled the funding gap left by the budget cuts, Bonaudi said. "It takes two dollars to balance out for every dollar we lose in state funding."

Bonaudi, who will retire in June, said he thinks the answer is to build a stable form of funding for community colleges. "We're always the last people in line in terms of higher education (funding)," he said. The result has been that community colleges have been forced to limit enrollment, he said.