Thursday, April 17, 2008
Kentucky Community Technical College Requests College Tuition Hike
VERSAILLES, Ky. (April 17, 2008) – The Kentucky Community and Technical College System (KCTCS) Board of Regents voted today to recommend to the Council on Postsecondary Education (CPE) an increase in the in-state tuition rate for the 2008-09 academic year to $130 per credit hour (including fees) from the current rate of $115.
In January 2008, the KCTCS Board of Regents recommended to CPE a $4 increase in the in-state tuition rate from $115 to $119 per credit hour effective for the 2008 summer term. The council has yet to take any action on this appeal. CPE’s 2007-08 tuition policy allowed for KCTCS to increase tuition by $10 per credit hour, but during the December 2006 KCTCS Board of Regents meeting the decision was made to keep tuition as low as possible by recommending only a $6 increase.
“Our number one priority is to provide Kentuckians with an affordable and accessible postsecondary education,” stated KCTCS Board of Regents Chair Richard A. Bean. “Unfortunately, given the state’s current revenue downturn and the reduction in our state appropriation of $13.5 million annually, we are forced to consider both cost reduction and revenue generating measures in order to continue to provide our students and the state’s businesses and industries with the programs and services they need to remain competitive in today’s global economy.”
The board also recommended to CPE a $156 per credit hour tuition rate for out-of-state students from contiguous counties and a $390 per credit hour rate for all other out-of-state students.
“Even with this increase, KCTCS tuition remains significantly lower than tuition at all Kentucky public universities and continues to be one of the best values in higher education today,” said Bean.
Seventy-seven percent of KCTCS students currently receive financial aid. Recent increases to the federal Pell Grant award program will help to offset the impact of the tuition increase. In addition, local scholarships will be made available at each college to assist with the cost of tuition and other college-related expenses.
The board also approved 2008-09 faculty and staff compensation that provides:
· Nonrecurring merit bonuses, ranging from $1,500 to $2,500 for regular full-time faculty and staff who meet certain requirements during the 2008-09 academic year;
· Fixed cost increases in current employee benefit programs;
· Faculty promotions; and
· No recurring annual salary increase for full-time regular KCTCS faculty and staff in 2008-09.
“This action supports our goal of rewarding performance by providing a merit bonus for high performing faculty and staff members, and promotions for faculty,” said Bean. “It also supports our continued commitment to provide employees with a competitive benefits program.”
KCTCS has implemented several cost cutting measures since the governor announced a three percent reduction in this year’s state allocation to postsecondary education institutions. These cuts include the elimination of employee positions, reduction of part-time employees (including adjunct faculty), reduction in equipment replacement and facility maintenance funds, and reduction in program operating budgets.
Except for the small portion of tuition revenue that will be used to fund operating costs, the additional revenue generated will be used to fund programs that directly benefit students as outlined in the KCTCS Plan for a Competitive Commonwealth.
“It is critical that even during difficult economic times we remain committed to our role as Kentucky’s economic engine,” stressed Bean. “In order to move this state forward we must focus on providing training for high growth, high wage jobs; increasing the number of KCTCS student transfers to four-year institutions; and providing additional remedial and developmental education services to our students.”
The next regular KCTCS Board of Regents meeting will be held on June 13, 2008 at Big Sandy Community and Technical College in Prestonsburg, Kentucky.
In January 2008, the KCTCS Board of Regents recommended to CPE a $4 increase in the in-state tuition rate from $115 to $119 per credit hour effective for the 2008 summer term. The council has yet to take any action on this appeal. CPE’s 2007-08 tuition policy allowed for KCTCS to increase tuition by $10 per credit hour, but during the December 2006 KCTCS Board of Regents meeting the decision was made to keep tuition as low as possible by recommending only a $6 increase.
“Our number one priority is to provide Kentuckians with an affordable and accessible postsecondary education,” stated KCTCS Board of Regents Chair Richard A. Bean. “Unfortunately, given the state’s current revenue downturn and the reduction in our state appropriation of $13.5 million annually, we are forced to consider both cost reduction and revenue generating measures in order to continue to provide our students and the state’s businesses and industries with the programs and services they need to remain competitive in today’s global economy.”
The board also recommended to CPE a $156 per credit hour tuition rate for out-of-state students from contiguous counties and a $390 per credit hour rate for all other out-of-state students.
“Even with this increase, KCTCS tuition remains significantly lower than tuition at all Kentucky public universities and continues to be one of the best values in higher education today,” said Bean.
Seventy-seven percent of KCTCS students currently receive financial aid. Recent increases to the federal Pell Grant award program will help to offset the impact of the tuition increase. In addition, local scholarships will be made available at each college to assist with the cost of tuition and other college-related expenses.
The board also approved 2008-09 faculty and staff compensation that provides:
· Nonrecurring merit bonuses, ranging from $1,500 to $2,500 for regular full-time faculty and staff who meet certain requirements during the 2008-09 academic year;
· Fixed cost increases in current employee benefit programs;
· Faculty promotions; and
· No recurring annual salary increase for full-time regular KCTCS faculty and staff in 2008-09.
“This action supports our goal of rewarding performance by providing a merit bonus for high performing faculty and staff members, and promotions for faculty,” said Bean. “It also supports our continued commitment to provide employees with a competitive benefits program.”
KCTCS has implemented several cost cutting measures since the governor announced a three percent reduction in this year’s state allocation to postsecondary education institutions. These cuts include the elimination of employee positions, reduction of part-time employees (including adjunct faculty), reduction in equipment replacement and facility maintenance funds, and reduction in program operating budgets.
Except for the small portion of tuition revenue that will be used to fund operating costs, the additional revenue generated will be used to fund programs that directly benefit students as outlined in the KCTCS Plan for a Competitive Commonwealth.
“It is critical that even during difficult economic times we remain committed to our role as Kentucky’s economic engine,” stressed Bean. “In order to move this state forward we must focus on providing training for high growth, high wage jobs; increasing the number of KCTCS student transfers to four-year institutions; and providing additional remedial and developmental education services to our students.”
The next regular KCTCS Board of Regents meeting will be held on June 13, 2008 at Big Sandy Community and Technical College in Prestonsburg, Kentucky.
# posted by Joe Kinzer @ 6:17 PM 
