UTPA considers tuition and fee increases

EDINBURG — The University of Texas-Pan American is looking to raise its designated tuition and fees for the next two school years, but it wants students’ input before taking action.

The university’s Cost of Education Committee will host public forums from noon to 1 p.m. Nov. 9 and 10 at the Student Union Theater and 6 to 7 p.m. Nov. 11 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.

The committee has also set up an online forum on its Web site, where people can review the proposals to the university president and leave their input. Preliminary figures should be made available online early next week, said Tony Matamoros, the committee’s liaison.

The average increase could be $150 for students taking 15 credit hours and $120 for students taking 12 credit hours, according to the committee, which is comprised of students, faculty and administrators.

Some UTPA students said they were unaware of the proposed changes but that they understand the university needs more money to move up to the next level.

Freshmen Valerie Alanis and Raul Barbosa said the fees they pay go toward several activities and the use of the gym.

“It’s worth it because the gym is free,” 18-year-old Valerie said.

Mauricio Martinez, 19, a sophomore criminal justice major and chairman of the University Program Board’s Media Moguls Committee, said that while the increases might hurt students financially, the money will go to good use.

“We’re not just wasting money,” he said. “We’re building for our future.”

Undergraduate students currently pay $97 per semester credit hour toward the university’s designated tuition, and graduate students pay $101.70 per semester credit hour. Designated tuition is the portion of tuition the state allows public universities to set.

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 2007-08 school year.

The university has raised its designated tuition and fees to keep up with the cost of education, including faculty salaries and work study programs, committee members said in a news release.

More faculty and staff are needed as the university grows, Matamoros said. UTPA has more than 18,000 students enrolled this year.

In 2005, the state capped its mandated portion of tuition at $50 per semester credit hour and allowed the universities to set their portion without regulation. But in December 2008, the UT Board of Regents capped designated tuition increases for its institutions at 4.95 percent per year or $150 per semester, whichever was greater. UTPA and UT-Brownsville are part of the UT System.

UTB expects to release its tuition and fee increase proposals in December, according to officials at that university.

Though the cap placed on tuition and fees alleviates the burden on students, it limits the university on preparing for its future, Matamoros said.

The university aspires to become a top-tier research institution and wants to hire the faculty and acquire the resources needed to achieve that goal, Matamoros said.

“The cap limits the number of faculty we can hire,” he said. “(The cap) limits how much we can do.”

Even with the increases, UTPA would remain among the most affordable schools in the state, Matamoros said.

The most recent report from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board shows that UTPA had the lowest overall tuition and fees within the UT System and was among the lowest in the state for the fall of 2008.

The university also offers financial assistance to students who qualify, including the UTPAdvantage program that pays all tuition and fees for four years for students whose family incomes are no greater than $30,000 a year, Matamoros said.

About 10 cents of every dollar paid in tuition goes toward financial assistance, he added.

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

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>> University of Texas-Pan American Cost of Education Web site: www.utpa.edu/coec