Tuition at SUNY Oswego would rise about $100 per semester and tuition at Cayuga Community College would rise by $50 per semester under the budget proposed by the State University of New York trustees on Tuesday.
The request now goes to the state Legislature and the Governor.
If approved, the tuition increase to $5,070 per semester would represent the second year in a row that tuition has gone up. The last increase before than was in 2003. Ten years ago, tuition was $3,400 per semester; 20 years ago, it was $1,350.
The increases come as the state looks for more revenue to offset massive deficits brought on by the collapse of Wall Street and the resulting deep recession.
90% of last year’s tuition hike did not go to the SUNY schools — it was piped directly into the state general fund. The SUNY Trustees recommend that all of this tuition hike stay with the schools.
“The flexibility legislation we’ve submitted would generate additional revenue, giving us stability and opportunity for the future,” said SUNY Chancellor Nancy Zimpher. SUNY will continue to work with the Governor and the Legislature to get through this fiscal crisis as we develop our long-term strategic plan.â€Â
Trustees also affirmed their support for allowing tuition to rise and fall with the Higher Education Price Index.
SUNY says that even with the proposed tuition increase, tuition at SUNY schools will remain below the national average, as reported by the College Board.
“To assure a world-class public university to the citizens of New York — one that advances the goals and dreams of individuals, but also invigorates our economy and lifts the quality of life for all of us — SUNY needs adequate revenues from both students and taxpayers,” SUNY Oswego President Deborah Stanley said in a statement. “The trustees’ tuition proposal addresses the students’ share in a way that is fair to students while also allowing the university to continue to provide them an excellent education.”
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