U of O could raise tuition 10 percent

College tuition is on the rise again in our region, after the president of the University of Oregon sent out a message to the school’s community regarding a proposed increase of its tuition rates.

The UO tuition and fee advisory board has recommended a $21 per credit-hour increase for 2017-18, which equates to about $945 a year (based on 45 credits per year). The higher costs would affect both in-state and out-of-state undergraduate students. Additionally, the board proposed higher costs for graduate students, plus a new technology fee of $50 a term.

The proposed tuition hike equates to a 10.6 percent increase for Oregonians, and 3 percent for out-of-state students.

These amounts are sure to make attending this university a bigger challenge than before for many students.

President Michael H. Schill said much of this has to do with the state’s fiscal problems. He expressed his concern with the state’s history of college funding.

“Oregon’s disinvestment in higher education over more than two decades has shifted the burden of paying for college from the state to our students and families,” he said. “Only four other states in the nation provide less funding per student for higher education than Oregon. That is simply unacceptable.”

Schill mentioned a few of his goals to combat the university’s financial struggles. This includes a plan to find effective ways to create new revenue and cut costs to help the university’s recurring budget gap, currently estimated at nearly $9 million.

His message noted that roughly 80 percent of the school’s educational budget goes to the salaries of faculty, staff, and administrators, so it is in the community’s best interest to avoid a deep cut in the current budget that would lead to a loss of jobs. (However, this week a labor union that represents many UO employees told the Register Guard newspaper the school is actively considering layoffs for up to 75 non-tenured faculty members.)

Schill said the university plans to do all that it can to protect as many students as possible from the impending tuition increase, and, thanks to the Pathway Oregon plan, about 2,000 eligible students will be assisted with their own tuition and fees. This includes over a third of first-year students expected in the next school year.

In his letter, Schill encouraged readers to reach out and comment on the board’s proposal before he makes his final tuition recommendation.