DALTON, Ga. - Higher-education tuition increases resulting from state funding cuts could help college revenues but strain students' wallets, officials and students say.
"Everything has a good side and a bad side, and tuition increases have both, as well," Dalton State College President Dr. John Schwenn said. "It would allow us to do things we really want to continue doing, but it would also hurt some students."
Scott Bailey, vice president for fiscal affairs at Dalton State, said slight tuition increases are common, but a significant increase this year could hurt already-struggling students.
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Patricia Grady, a social work student at Dalton State, said she'd prefer a reasonable tuition increase to seeing programs slashed, though she knows it would be hard on some students.
Dalton State has said it will consider cutting out the social work program along with some programs in its School of Technology.
"Georgia's tuition rates are relatively low, and we've been able to keep them that way compared to other states," Ms. Grady said. "In all fairness, I would be willing to do my part."
It would take a tuition increase of 77 percent to cover a little more than half of the cuts that colleges face, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported earlier this month.
Officials don't expect that much of a hike, but Dr. Schwenn said some increase is likely.
State legislators are working to cut more than $1 billion from the budget in response to shrinking revenues.
State Board of Regents spokesman John Millsaps said that could include an additional cut of up to $300 million for the University System of Georgia in 2011, on top of a $265 million reduction already in Gov. Sonny Perdue's budget.
Once state leaders finalize the budget, the Board of Regents can decide on budget cuts and tuition increases, he said. Those discussions likely won't begin until April, he said.
UNIVERSITY SYSTEM OF GEORGIA 2010 TUITION* $3,035: Research universities* $1,937-$2,842: Regional and state universities* $1,247-$1,500: State colleges (Dalton State is $1,247)* $1,149: Two-year colleges(Figures are per semester for in-state, full-time students taking 15 credit hours and do not include fees.)Source: University System of Georgia Web site
"I think the main thing that people need to understand is: Whatever happens, the board will take a pretty balanced approach as to how we address the budget issues," Mr. Millsaps said. "You're not going to see reductions placed all on employees, or all on students or all on programs."
He said the University System of Georgia has lost $361 million in state funding since 2009 and made up only 12 percent of those cuts through new costs to students, such as an institutional fee.
Mr. Bailey said the new fee cost Dalton State students $50 for fall semester and $100 for spring semester this year.
It also costs more this year to take 15 credit hours rather than 12 hours, said Mr. Millsaps. In the past, credit hours above 12 were free, but now only hours after 15 are free.
In addition, the "Fixed-for-Four" program that froze tuition for students finishing college in four years ended and students who started in fall 2009 and after must pay all tuition increases, he said.