2008 Woodie Awards
PSU aims for 5 percent tuition hike
Sara Wade
Issue date: 3/6/08 Section: Front Page
While PSU officials say they are aiming for around a 5 percent increase in tuition for the 2008-'09 school year, the total won't be officially decided until June.
But some students wonder if a 5 percent increase is really necessary.
"I lose two of my scholarships next semester because they only run through four years," said Mary Jo Harper, senior in music. "I'm in a five-year degree. Five percent would seriously hurt, but I'm sure that it could be worse."
PSU President Tom Bryant says Harper is right - it could be worse.
School officials have estimated that students have taken 192,677 credit hours during the 2008 fiscal year. Among the six Kansas Board of Regents universities, the average credit hour costs $294, while PSU's credit costs $237.
For this academic year, the regional average of tuition and fees at schools similar to PSU is $2,536. PSU falls below that average with $2,030.
Bryant says that he and other university officials present this information to the House Appropriations Committee and the Senate Ways and Means Committee in Topeka to best determine the cost of tuition.
State general funds and tuition work together to determine the cost of education for students. For the 2008 school year, state general funds paid 63 percent of tuition, while students paid 37 percent.
"One of the goals we had for regional schools was to have the ratio be 25 percent student-paid and 75 percent state-paid," Bryant said. "It'll never be that way again."
Bryant says that the proportion the state
But some students wonder if a 5 percent increase is really necessary.
"I lose two of my scholarships next semester because they only run through four years," said Mary Jo Harper, senior in music. "I'm in a five-year degree. Five percent would seriously hurt, but I'm sure that it could be worse."
PSU President Tom Bryant says Harper is right - it could be worse.
School officials have estimated that students have taken 192,677 credit hours during the 2008 fiscal year. Among the six Kansas Board of Regents universities, the average credit hour costs $294, while PSU's credit costs $237.
For this academic year, the regional average of tuition and fees at schools similar to PSU is $2,536. PSU falls below that average with $2,030.
Bryant says that he and other university officials present this information to the House Appropriations Committee and the Senate Ways and Means Committee in Topeka to best determine the cost of tuition.
State general funds and tuition work together to determine the cost of education for students. For the 2008 school year, state general funds paid 63 percent of tuition, while students paid 37 percent.
"One of the goals we had for regional schools was to have the ratio be 25 percent student-paid and 75 percent state-paid," Bryant said. "It'll never be that way again."
Bryant says that the proportion the state
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