Trustees OK tuition hikes for 3 graduate programs

Students in three U graduate programs found out how much more they’ll be spending next year—beyond the cost of an impending tuition increase.

The Board of Trustees voted to increase differential tuition—fees specific to a program that directly help fund it—Tuesday for the genetic counseling, educational psychology and biomedical informatics programs.

All three votes were unanimous but came only after a lengthy discussion—specifically about the genetic counseling program—about the future of smaller programs at the U.

“As we see a decline in state support, the financial burden is increasingly put on the students, and this seems like an acceleration of that,” said Randy Dryer, chairman for the Board of Trustees. “This seems to raise questions about the long-term issues of putting the burden on students.”

Dryer said he would hate to have legislators see these increases as the new way to fund education.

Students will be relied on more to fund programs unless the Utah Legislature changes its priorities to higher education, said U President Michael Young.

“Raising tuition is better than cutting the program,” Young said.

Bonnie Baty, director of the genetic counseling program, told trustees that the general consensus of the 14 students in her program was to support the hike in fees.

Baty said her biggest concern about continued increases in costs is that the U’s genetic counseling program is already about $2,000 more than the average of peer institutions, and the projected cost of in-state tuition for the program will now jump to $32,192, which is about $8,000 more than it is this year.

Tara Newcomb, a master’s student in the program, was one of the students in support of the increased fees. She said she thinks many students in small programs will face the choice of either paying more fees, in addition to the increasing tuition, or risk their program being discontinued.

“Unfortunately, I could see that happening,” she said. “Small programs kind of get looked over, I feel, even though (my) training is just as important as training to be a general doctor.”

j.hibbard@chronicle.utah.edu

3 comments

Anonymous

Wed Feb 10 2010 18:24

It's not the thing that students want to hear when they are probably working part-time or not working at all, but it has to be done. I think the president has made several trips to the legislature to fight for increased state funding. That is the most he can do. Although Obama has increased the amount of research funding through the ARRA funds, this only betters the research side of the institution since it is restricted funds and cannot be used for other purposes. I wish other students could understand that raising tuition is always a last resort.

Fail

Wed Feb 10 2010 17:17

Clough is a tool, remember?

hmmm...

Wed Feb 10 2010 14:33

Unanimous votes? Hmmm ..I do believe that our ASUU President is a voting member of this board? Thanks Mr. President.

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