2008 Woodie Awards
Tuition raises: aimed at higher salaries
Margarita Perez
Issue date: 4/27/07 Section: Other News
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Undergraduate students will pay $40 more per credit hour and graduate students will pay $90 more per credit hour next fall, pursuant to a tuition increase approved by UST's board of directors on Feb. 28.
UST President Robert Ivany said funds would go toward raising faculty and staff salaries, hiring new professors and funding basic operation costs. In addition, Ivany said the increase would pay for a recently hired constable.
"We try to keep tuition low and, at the same time, increase tuition assistance," Ivany said.
UST currently plans to provide $6.14 million in financial aid and $400,000 in scholarships for the 2007-2008 school year, he said.
Jim Booth, vice president for finance, said UST has four sources of funding: tuition, endowments, gifts and auxiliary operations, which include room and board payments. For the 2007-2008 school year, tuition will cover 82.5 percent of the projected University budget, endowments will cover 5 percent, gifts will cover 5.25 percent and room and board payments will cover 6.75 percent.
John Hittinger, vice president of academic affairs, explained that, as a tuition-dependent institution, UST relies on tuition to pay faculty, staff and operating expenses such as utility bills. "We are sensitive to understanding the difficulty of students and parents financing an education at a private institution," he said.
Administrators are currently seeking new and stable ways to increase cash revenues, Hittinger said. "Dr. Ivany is out in the Houston community asking philanthropists to help build endowments, especially for student scholarships," he said.
Sophomore environmental studies major Peter Gotting said he assumed tuition was going to increase. "I don't have a problem with paying more as long as the money is used wisely," Gotting said. "But as it is now, I don't think the school is meeting my academic interests or concerns, especially as it regards my field of study."
Graduate bilingual education major Daniela Reyes said she felt tuition prices were already high.
"I guess if they raise tuition by a reasonable amount it would be OK as long as administration proves that they are working on new programs and new ways to improve the school," Reyes said.
UST President Robert Ivany said funds would go toward raising faculty and staff salaries, hiring new professors and funding basic operation costs. In addition, Ivany said the increase would pay for a recently hired constable.
"We try to keep tuition low and, at the same time, increase tuition assistance," Ivany said.
UST currently plans to provide $6.14 million in financial aid and $400,000 in scholarships for the 2007-2008 school year, he said.
Jim Booth, vice president for finance, said UST has four sources of funding: tuition, endowments, gifts and auxiliary operations, which include room and board payments. For the 2007-2008 school year, tuition will cover 82.5 percent of the projected University budget, endowments will cover 5 percent, gifts will cover 5.25 percent and room and board payments will cover 6.75 percent.
John Hittinger, vice president of academic affairs, explained that, as a tuition-dependent institution, UST relies on tuition to pay faculty, staff and operating expenses such as utility bills. "We are sensitive to understanding the difficulty of students and parents financing an education at a private institution," he said.
Administrators are currently seeking new and stable ways to increase cash revenues, Hittinger said. "Dr. Ivany is out in the Houston community asking philanthropists to help build endowments, especially for student scholarships," he said.
Sophomore environmental studies major Peter Gotting said he assumed tuition was going to increase. "I don't have a problem with paying more as long as the money is used wisely," Gotting said. "But as it is now, I don't think the school is meeting my academic interests or concerns, especially as it regards my field of study."
Graduate bilingual education major Daniela Reyes said she felt tuition prices were already high.
"I guess if they raise tuition by a reasonable amount it would be OK as long as administration proves that they are working on new programs and new ways to improve the school," Reyes said.