Search

ARCHIVES
CONTACT US
WORLD NEWS

Student leaders reject Likins' tuition plan

UA President Peter Likins Monday released his plan to increase next year's tuition, but officials from ASUA said they will not support it.

Likins' plan would increase in-state tuition by $101 and out-of-state tuition by $389 .

Cisco Aguilar, ASUA president, said he does not want tuition increased but said he supports a rate related to the consumer price index, which is about 3.5, plus 1 percent.

"The greater the percentage - the further we are getting away from as free as possible," Aguilar said, referring to the Arizona constitution's mandate that higher education "shall be as nearly free as possible."

The difference between Likins' proposal and the "CPI-plus-1-percent" plan is $25.

In an official statement, Likins said Arizona universities would still have one of the lowest tuition rates in the country with his proposal.

"Subsequent to these increases, prices at the University of Arizona will remain among the lowest among flagship public universities in America," Likins stated.

Likins stated that about $10 of every in-state tuition increase will be used for financial aid, about $45 will be used between information technology and about $45 for faculty salary increments.

"These augmentations will help insure that technology keeps pace with students' educational needs and that the university can attract and retain the highest caliber faculty," Likins stated.

Aguilar said Likins' proposal will impact students over time.

"The debt the student incurs to get higher education is increasing at a higher rate," he said.

He said Arizona students now go into debt by about $17,000 for their education, but the rate was only $9,000 six years ago.

ASUA President-elect Ben Graff said although the difference between the consumer price index plan and Likins' is only $25, students end up paying much more in university-wide rate increases every year.

"Tuition is just one of many things but it's one of the things we have the most lobbying control over," said Graff, who is also ASUA's executive vice president.

He added that, during his presidency, he will lobby Likins to commit to the CPI plan.

"He (Likins) has listened to us in the past," Graff said. "We are not dealing with a university president that keeps a closed and inaccessible door to the students."

Graff said he hopes Likins will join ASUA and the Arizona Students' Association in lobbying state legislators to increase university funding.

Aguilar said he wants UA students to voice their opinions about a tuition increase for next year on Thursday. A public hearing will be held in room 211 of the Harvill building, 1103 E. Second St.

The hearing will use interactive TV to connect the three universities. It will be broadcast on People's Choice Channel 46 in Tucson and Cox Cable Channel 7 in Sierra Vista.

Arizona State University officials are proposing to hike tuition by $100 for resident students and $350 increase for non-resident students. Northern Arizona University officials are proposing to increase in-state tuition by $100 and $400 for out-of-state residents.

Regent Judy Gignac said she wants to hear students' concerns about tuition increase before a decision is made at the next Arizona Board of Regents meeting April 6 and 7 at Northern Arizona University.

She said she was unsure how much tuition should be increased.

However, she said she thinks Arizona universities probably need more money than Likins' proposed plan and that they have been "scrapping" to keep up with quality issues.

"I am certain that they need the money," Gignac said. "They probably need more than that."

She said that a 10-year study found that if tuition had been increased by the consumer price index plus 1 percent, it would have been more expensive.

ABOR President Hank Amos also said he does not know yet how much tuition should be to be increased.

He said ABOR needs to find out the universities' costs, the amount of money the state legislature will "kick in," and then must be sensitive to students' needs.

"The legislature is unwilling to invest," he said. "I'm concerned about the quality future of our universities."

Sam Leyvas, Arizona Students' Association executive director, said his student lobbying organization will determine its position this afternoon.

Leyvas said traditionally, his organization has supported setting tuition at "CPI-plus-1-percent."

"Tuition should be stable and predictable," he said.

He said Likins' proposal is better than last year's plan, which would have increased tuition by 50 percent during five years.

"We're very, very happy they've come back to their senses and backed off that plan," he said.

He said students need more specific information about where the money from this plan would go.

Leyvas said students should know what technology will be expanded and which faculty members will receive more money.

"Students have a right to know what sorts of projects you are going to do," Leyvas said. "Only when we know that information we can have an honest discussion."

He said according to his records - which begin in 1987 - the highest tuition increase occurred in the 1993-1994 school year, when in-state rates were raised by 16.4 percent, or $250.

Out-of-state tuition was increased by $350, or 5 percent, that year, he said.