Trustees discuss tuition increases

Just when IU students thought tuition couldn't get any higher, the IU board of trustees will meet in early May to determine if tuition will increase again. The board approved a 7.5 percent increase for the 2001-2002 school year. Since 1999, tuition for in-state students has increased by $410 a semester and has increased by $1,362 a semester for out-of-state students. Currently, in-state tuition is at $2,286 a semester, while out-of-state tuition is more than three times that amount at $7,591 a semester. \nTrustees President Frederick Eichhorn said he has requested a survey on tuition costs nationwide but has not seen any budget figures yet. Eichhorn said he is waiting to see what the Indiana State Legislature will do and expects to discuss the matter during the next board meeting in May. \nEichhorn said there are three ways IU receives money -- gifts and grants, state appropriations and tuition. During the 2001-2002 school year, 50 percent of IU's money came from state funding and 50 percent from tuition and undesignated and unrestricted money from donors.\n"Inflation and the desire to move the University ahead are two factors in the rising cost of tuition," Eichhorn said. "You never get quality incentive dollars out of the legislature."\nIU has not been alone in their past decisions to raise the price of attending the University. Big Ten institutions like Ohio State, Penn Sate, the University of Illinois and the University of Iowa have all raised their tuition within the last year and are expected to increase their prices again.\nStudents and parents alike are concerned about the rising costs of a college education. But as state funding has decreased, IU has been faced with the decision to hike their prices in order to maintain their educational and research programs. IU spokeswoman Jane Jankowski said it's important for students to look at everything IU has to offer and to remember that with a tuition increase students are going to see increased expenses. \n"IU is trying to get the maximum amount of quality with the money they have," she said. "The University has a lot of services it offers its students."\nIn the past, state cutbacks in funding, the cost of health care benefits and the cost of energy have played a role in increasing expenditures. Many public universities have had to increase the salaries of faculty members to keep up with private universities who pay on average $1,400 more. \nSenior Jim Mellen said the problem with rising tuition is not IU's fault but the state of Indiana. \n"The real problem is that the state of Indiana doesn't make enough money," Mellen said. "They need to raise income and property taxes on its residents."\nJunior Allison Murphy said tuition increase might be necessary every year.\n"We're a big research institution and if we are still going to offer the same programs, competitive salaries for professors and be up-to-date with technology we're going to need that revenue from tuition," Murphy said.\nKirk White, the director for Hoosiers in Higher Education, said the University is working to make education affordable for students, but when IU is not able to get enough money from the General Assembly they have to look elsewhere. Hoosiers for Higher Education has been working to inform and influence legislators to increase funding to the University.\n"The University's basic needs need to be met in order to continue to have programs of rank and academic excellence," White said.