Tuitions jump at major Indiana universities

Economists claim the United States is suffering the worst economic recession since 1957.

But in-state undergraduate tuition is going up throughout the state.

According to The Associated Press, Indiana’s Commission for Higher Education recommended a 5 percent increase at IU, Purdue and the University of Southern Indiana. Ball State University and Ivy Tech Community College might raise their tuitions by 4 percent, and the Commission said that Indiana State University and Vincennes University shouldn’t go higher than 3.5 percent.

Incoming Ball State freshman John Davis said it’s a bad time to raise tuition, given the economy.

“People are having enough trouble as it is,” he said. “It’s going up 5 to 10 percent at other schools. It’s a pretty good increase.”

Davis said even 5 percent, which might seem like a small number, was too much, especially because a college education can cost $40,000 to $60,000.

But it’s not just the students who don’t think the increase is a good idea. State Sen. Mike Delph, R-Carmel, is against it.

“Our institutions of higher learning need to tighten their belts just like Hoosier families,” he said.

Recently retired IU geology faculty member Sam Frushour said students across the state are right to be worried about the effect the tuition increases are going to have.

“Tuition increases traditionally harm middle class who have just enough resources to not get assistance,” he said in a written statement. “People who get major
scholarships usually do not feel any crunch. IU and other major universities recruit
foreign students because of the big dollar tuition, and the vast majority of these people are getting assistance from their country or are wealthy.”

Others were not as concerned about the number.

“Five percent is not too terrible,” said Purdue graduate Chelsea Cramer. “It goes with how things are these days.”

Ball State senior Jacob Eby isn’t concerned either.

“If they have to increase tuition for everything, then they do,” he said. “They’re smart. Tuition has gone up before. People always complain, but they’ll forget about it in three months.”

The commission is recommending universities cut costs in other areas to avoid raising tuition in the bad economy. However, it is still recommending up to a 5 percent increase at some schools despite the fact that the state is receiving federal stimulus money. The money is only going to last two years. What will happen when the federal money runs out?

Diann McKee, Indiana State University’s vice president of business, said nothing will happen when the federal money runs out – at least not at Indiana State.

“We’re not counting on federal money for the operating budget,” she said, adding that the school is only using a little this year, and none in the 2010-11 year. “We want to make sure we’re not relying on the money.”

Ivy Tech President Thomas J. Snyder said he doesn’t think Ivy Tech’s proposed increase, which amounts to $4.65 per credit hour, is going to hurt students.

“If we were going to cover our costs, we would have raised it to 10 percent, and we did not,” he said, adding that the state only pays half of Ivy Tech’s costs. “It’s a darn good bargain.”

McKee said he doesn’t think the increase, which he said will probably be 3.9 percent at Indiana State, will amount to too much.

“It’s less than $2 a day,” she said. “We’re hoping it won’t be a problem.”

The commission estimates tuition for IU-Bloomington will jump from $8,281 for the 2009-10 school year to $8,695 for the 2010-11 year.

IU President Michael McRobbie’s goal is to come in just under the proposed 5 percent increase on the Bloomington campus, with a 4.6 percent raise this year and a 4.8 percent increase next year. The board of trustees is meeting to discuss the matter July 16.

According to a press release, IU could be losing 6 percent in government funding during the next two years, so McRobbie hopes a combination of tuition increases and spending reductions will be enough to keep IU steady.