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Tuition and fee increases lead to widespread student response
The Advocate
Students have reacted with both understanding and discontentment after the MHCC district board moved to approve increases in tuition and fees for the 2012-2013 academic year on May 11.
The new increases include a $5 increase in tuition per credit hour, a college service fee increase from $30 to $40, a distance learning fee increase from $40 to $55 as well as an access fee of $35 for each student enrolled in at least one credit class, which will replace the current parking permit system.
With the new increase in tuition and other fees, total tuition for a full-time student (12 credits) taking non-distance learning courses at MHCC will be $1,161 per term.
In comparison to nearby colleges, students enrolled full-time at Portland Community College pay $1,077 per term, $1,105 per term at Clark College, $1,082 per term at Clackamas Community College and $2,177 at Portland State University.
District board chairman Dave Shields said at the budget committee on May 9 that given the reduced funding MHCC has received throughout the years, that tuition may have to continue increasing.
"It's (increase tuition) one of those things that unfortunately [we] might have to continue to do," said Shields.
The college faces a two-year deficit projection of $7.8 million, up from $5.5 million that was estimated for the 2012-13 fiscal year.
Given the deficit, Shields said that the budget was constructed under a notion of "shared sacrifice."
Asked what his thoughts were on the new tuition and fee increases, Kyle McGann an education major at MHCC, said, "I'm against the increase in tuition for one singular reason in that we are getting to the point where we are almost at the price of universities at a community college."
McGann added, "As far as the access fee, I'm totally okay with it. Service costs money." He said he understands the fee.
Eric Panner, a first year business major said his main concern is the access fee. "I think they realize that the parking permit system isn't working. It just bothers me that I would have to pay the access fee even though I walk to school," he said.
Kimberly DeAnne, a first year mental health student, was also displeased with the news that tuition would rise, "First of all, it's going to be hard on people who have to rely on financial aid to pay for school, especially with the financial aid money running out. Some people who can barely afford college wont have enough money to go."
Members of the Associated Student Government (ASG) had a similar take on the new fee and tuition hikes.
ASG president Jackie Altamirano said, "It's difficult for students for another increase to happen. I mean this is altogether, these last two years, it's been a 13 dollar increase. For students, that's a huge burden to place on us."
"The administration has really talked about those shared sacrifices to insure that everybody is equally affected and it will become an easier burden to hold, but honestly it seems that students have taken most of that (burden)," she said. However, Altamirano added that she feels the administration did a good job being transparent with their budget plans and being communicative with students.
ASG vice president Erika Molina had a similar take on the increases, "We can't continue to have these increases, at this rate we're going to be at 90 plus dollars per credit," said Molina.
Molina said that by rallying at the state capital ASG has been working to try and increase the amount of funding given to the school, something that has been steadily decreasing over years and one of the main contributing reasons for increases in tuition and other fees.
"Community college is that place that you can go to get a good education for less money than you would pay elsewhere and it just seems like that mission is going away," said Altamirano.
The Advocate reserves the right to not publish comments based on their appropriateness.