Tuition increase probable

By JILL AHO and RACHEL KRAMER

The MHCCD board heard four options for a tuition increase Wednesday night.
Gary Murph, MHCC’s chief financial officer and Robert Silverman, MHCC president, explained four models to the board, all with a tuition increase and loss of days to faculty.

Option one consisted of an increase to tuition of $2.50 and retaining the current two-day reduction for teachers. This plan also included an increase in need-based scholarships, allotting 10 percent of the total increase to scholarships.

Option two is the same, only with a decrease of funding to need-based scholarships to 5 percent.
Option three increases tuition only $2, allots 10 percent to the scholarships, but includes a four-day staff reduction.

The final option allows for a $3 tuition increase, 10 percent to scholarships and the two-day reduction.

Murph explained the raise in tuition would be a “recapturing of lost revenue” because of decreased enrollment in tuition-generating classes.During discussion, board members voiced concerns over the connection between increased tuition and lower enrollment.

According to Murph, a report prepared on March 14, 2003, by Research and Planning says the line that connects tuition increases and lower enrollment is fuzzy and they could not establish that a tuition increase effected enrollment.

“Everyone was losing students,” Silverman said. “We said it was because of money, but it was not totally linked to tuition. We lost students for a variety of reasons.”

Board member Bob Morris expressed concern that a decrease in contibutions to financial aid through the need-based scholarships might also affect enrollment. Administration did not have any numbers on how many students would be impacted.

While no final decisions have been made, Silverman supported a $2.50 increase in tuition, but will have to wait for further discussion and negotiations with the unions about how many days the groups are willing to give back.

The board will revisit the topic at their next regular meeting in April.