Higher ed inflation index serves as base for tuition recommendation

Northern Arizona University President John Haeger has recommended holding tuition for 2007-08 to just 2 percent above the consumer pricing index in higher education for the majority of NAU students.

Haeger proposes increasing tuition to 7 percent for the majority of students to enable the university to keep pace with inflation and allow some funding for the university's most critical initiatives.

The national Higher Education Price Index sits at 5 percent and reflects the price of goods and services for colleges and universities.

"The 5 percent index would just keep us where we are," said Haeger. "Standing still means falling behind in meeting the needs of our students and our campus. Northern Arizona University has gained extraordinary momentum in the past year, and we cannot afford to slow that progress."

The tuition recommendation would apply to all resident, nonresident, undergraduate and graduate students, except resident undergraduate students in NAU's statewide programs and at the Yuma campus. The tuition increase for those students would be held to the 5 percent HEPI figure because they do not take advantage of the full array of services available at the Flagstaff campus.

As a result, Arizona undergraduates on the Flagstaff campus would pay $153 more per semester for tuition beginning in fall 2007, and Arizona undergraduates in statewide programs and at the Yuma campus would pay another $108 per semester.

Haeger and the presidents of Arizona State University and the University of Arizona have submitted their tuition and fees recommendations to the Arizona Board of Regents.

Haeger's recommendation includes increasing the current information technology fee by $1 to $3 per credit hour for all students to upgrade the university's computer network infrastructure. This includes increasing the bandwidth of all data segments of the network and expanding the wireless network throughout campus. The improvements to the computer network also will require additional funding from the university's operating budget. The IT fee is capped at 12 credit hours.

The president also proposes implementing a $25 per semester student activity fee for Flagstaff campus students to develop various programs and activities suggested by students. These could include reducing or removing user fees at campus recreational facilities, providing a "safe ride" service for students after dark and increasing the number of speakers and events presented on campus.

The total of tuition and fees for undergraduate resident students on the Flagstaff campus would be $4,929 in 2007-08, compared to $4,546 this year.

The proposed tuition and fees for NAU would keep the university in the bottom third of what the nation's 50 senior public universities charge in-state undergraduates. NAU currently ranks 44th.

"NAU celebrated a record-breaking enrollment this fall, and we handled the influx of 1,500 additional students with existing resources. But to continue providing the best undergraduate experience in the state, we must invest in our students, our faculty and staff and our campus."

Haeger acknowledged that tuition alone cannot meet all the university's needs. He said that in partnership with the Legislature, the university can implement a cost-effective budget that sustains growth and meets workforce demands.

NAU's budget request includes funding for:

• salaries, which rank at the bottom among peer universities for NAU faculty
• taking care of deteriorating buildings that become more costly every year that repairs are delayed
• expanding NAU's Distance Learning program to make higher education more accessible and affordable to Arizonans
• expanding initiatives to retain and graduate more students
• building on NAU's clinical health-care programs and creating new ones as part of NAU's participation in the new medical school in Phoenix

In addition, Haeger recommends limited adjustments in certain course fees. These fees would cover actual expenses for expendable materials and travel. In many cases, fees have not been adjusted for 10 years, while the cost of materials has risen by as much as 10 percent during that period.

The president also proposes instituting a 20 percent premium on resident undergraduate tuition for those students who exceed the legislatively mandated credit-hour threshold. A state law enacted in 2005 sets the credit-hour limit for undergraduate students attending public universities at 155 credits this year, 150 credits next year and 145 credits thereafter. The Legislature cuts funding to the universities for each student who exceeds the credit-hour threshold.

The Arizona Board of Regents will conduct a statewide public tuition hearing from 5 to 7 p.m. Nov. 20. Students and other interested parties are invited to share comments regarding tuition and mandatory student fees for the 2007-08 academic year.

The hearing will be broadcast through interactive television. Locations for Northern Arizona University participants are:

• Flagstaff: Adel Mathematics Building, Room 137
• Yuma: Arizona Western College, Academic Complex Room AC 111
• Show Low: Northland Pioneer College, Learning Center Building, Room 103,

The Arizona Board of Regents is scheduled to vote on tuition and fees for the three universities at its Nov. 30-Dec. 1 meeting in Tucson.

-NAU-