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UAPB AND UAM TUITION AND FEES WILL INCREASE

By Erin France/OF THE COMMERCIAL STAFF
Tuesday, June 23, 2009 12:11 AM CDT

While the University of Arkansas approved increases at system schools June 5, students in Southeast Arkansas are still getting a good deal for their dollars, say school representatives.

The University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff will increase tuition and fees 2.6 percent, said Pauline Thomas, the interim vice chancellor for finance and budget.

Thomas said there was an 8 percent increase in the college’s spending to cover employees’ increasing health care costs.

“You can see we didn’t have enough to cover everything,” she said.

Utilities have also increased during the last year, she added.

“We kept it to the smallest amount that we could,” Thomas said.

According to Margaret Taylor, UAPB’s director of planning and institutional research, the increase from the 2007-08 school year to the 2008-09 school year was 4.5 percent. The year before there was no increase, she stated.

“We’re going to try to keep the cost as low as we can,” Thomas said.

The University of Arkansas at Monticello had a similar increase with 3.27 percent in tuition and fees, said Jim Brewer, the director of media services.

“We’re just trying to keep pace with the cost of providing an education,” he said.

School administrators submit their recommendations to the University of Arkansas system board, Brewer said. The board votes on the final tuition and fee increases.

Last year, Brewer said tuition and fees increased by 3.62 percent. Two years before, students faced an increase of 7 percent.

“Of the last three years’ increases, this is the smallest,” he said.

Brewer said the university works hard to keep the tuition low.

“I think we’ve done a pretty good job at that.”

The two system schools were not the only ones to meet increases, said Ben Beaumont, the director of communications for the University of Arkansas system.

“I think each of the campuses realize it’s a belt tightening time,” he said.

Beaumont said each school’s needs are different, but they did a good job keeping the cost of education down for students.

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