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MSCTC tuition increase is lowest in last decade
Published Thursday, January 17, 2008
Charlie Brown, 19, can tell you how hard it can be to pay for college. Since enrolling at MSCTC-Fergus Falls last year, the Milwaukee native has received a combination of loans and grants as he completes general education requirements toward a degree in education.
Still, Brown says tuition costs are a heavy burden.
“Financial aid is not enough,” he said. “I still end up paying out of pocket.”
So it comes as a kind of mixed blessing that while the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system will raise tuition next year, it may be the lowest increase in 10 years. Chancellor James McCormick on Monday recommended the Board of Trustees raise tuition by 2 percent at two-year colleges and 3 percent at state universities, the lowest increase since 1998.
Anna Wasescha, provost at MSCTC-Fergus Falls, said the move is part of an effort to keep education as affordable as possible while acknowledging the college’s financial realities.
“We have to balance our budget, and tuition revenue is a big piece of what we rely on to run the college,” she said. “We’re all examining ways to be more efficient.”
The recommendation may be of little comfort to students who will be paying more for tuition next year than this year, a fact McCormick acknowledged in a statement.
“We also know that event this small increase will strain some students,” he said, “requiring them to juggle studies and long hours of work to meet their career goals.”
Wasescha encouraged local students to look into scholarships offered by the Fergus Area College Foundation, and remember that a college education pays off in the long-term.
“It’s an investment now in your ability to earn money across a lifetime,” Wasescha said. “If you do the math, the costs and the benefits, it’s worth it.”
The college-level increase for the 2007-2008 school year was 3.8 percent — at that point, the lowest increase in several years. Internal cost cutting and financial support from the state helped keep next year’s increases down, McCormick said. If approved by the trustees, the increases would be effective this fall.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Comments
The Daily Journal is happy to host community conversations about news and life in Fergus Falls and the surrounding area. As hosts, we expect guests will show respect for each other. That means we don't threaten or defame each other, and we keep conversations free of personal attacks. Witty is great. Abusive is not. If you think a post violates these standards, don't escalate the situation. Instead, flag the comment to alert us. We'll take action if necessary. It's not hard. This should be a place where people want to read and contribute -- a place for spirited exchanges of opinion. So those who persist with racist, defamatory or abusive postings risk losing the privilege to post at all.Posted by eripsni (anonymous) on January 17, 2008 at 1:54 p.m. (Suggest removal)
What about Snoopy and Linus?
Posted by BobWilliams (Bob Williams) on January 17, 2008 at 2:22 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Pigpen's going to need a grant this year.
Posted by TheHammer (anonymous) on January 17, 2008 at 5:46 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Hey Nineteen! The math doesn't add up! Didn't we celebrate good ol' Charley Brown's 50th birthday just a few years ago?
Posted by jdartin (anonymous) on January 18, 2008 at 8:44 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Of course you will have to pay some for tuition "out of pocket"...education is not free.
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