UTPA hosts first of three forums on price hike proposals

EDINBURG — Tuition and fees are one thing, many of the students told University of Texas-Pan American officials Monday evening, but why do so many of other costs have to go up as well?

During the first of three public forums that attempt to explain proposed tuition and fee increases, students said they agree with the university’s overall goals of bringing in high-quality faculty and expanding academic programs.

But some questioned whether other costs, including food services, textbooks and parking fees should continue to go up as well.

“I understand the university needs to increase its revenue, but some of it is a bit short-sighted,” said Darien Fernandez, a 28-year-old junior majoring in political science. “It’s the little things that get to us, the nickel and diming … especially for non-traditional students like myself.”

The university’s Cost of Education Committee was looking for feedback before sending the increase requests to the UT System’s Board of Regents early next year.

Increases include designated tuition increases by more than $100 per semester for both graduate and undergraduate students, as well as new program fees for dietetics, nursing, educational leadership and those attending the university strictly online.

Currently, undergraduate students pay $97 per semester credit hour toward the university’s designated tuition and graduate students pay $101.70 per semester credit hour.

The proposal would increase the per-credit-hour tuition by almost $20 over two years.

The need for the increases is to keep up with the cost of education, including faculty salaries and continuing providing financial aid to students, committee members said. students were also concerned about the cost of parking, which the university wanted to increase by 13-17 percent, depending on the semester.

Among concerns students had was the increase in parking fees. Currently, students pay $39 for the fall semester, $30 for the spring semester, $20 for the first summer semester and $10 for the second summer semester.

According to the proposal, parking fees would increase by as little as $2 for the second summer session to as much as $8 for the fall semester over the next two years.

The parking fee increases will allow the university to add parking spaces in the western part of the campus and improve security features such as lighting and emergency phones on campus, said UTPA Police Chief Roger Lee Stearns.

Graduate student Rebekah Sepulveda said the university’s security is understaffed, and if should something happen, chances are security employees might not get there in time.

So Sepulveda, who is not on the committee, said she doesn’t mind paying extra over the next two years.

“As a student I’m willing to do it,” said Sepulveda, 23, of Edinburg.

Every two years UTPA sets its tuition and fees for the following two school years. The last time the university set its tuition and rates was during the 2007-2008 school year.

The committee will host more public forums from noon to 1 p.m. today (Nov.10) at the Student Union theater and 6 to 7 p.m. Wednesday at the College of Education building room 1.102 to receive feedback from students and the community about the proposed changes for the 2011 and 2012 fiscal years.

To see a list of the proposed price increases, visit www.utpa.edu/coec.

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Jennifer L. Berghom covers education and general assignments for The Monitor. She can be reached at (956) 683-4462.