“As of 2007, NEIU maintains one of the state’s lowest tuition rates. Predictions, and they are only predictions, point to our continuing rank among the most affordable state universities in Illinois”, said new NEIU President Sharon Hahs to the Board of Trustees at their Feb. 15 meeting.
After her brief speech, the board discussed the proposed 14.7 percent tuition hike before voting unanimously in favor of the increase.
“We’re just trying to play catch-up and even the books,” said Student Trustee Peter Michalczyk. Being as the state has cut funding and NEIU has failed to come up with alternative plans to make up for the difference, Michalczyk said that he saw “no reason not to vote on the measure.” Michalczyk voted for the measure.
The increase in tuition is slated to cover new technology, student services and activities, faculty and staff salaries, and utility costs.
Hahs assured ongoing students who enrolled prior to 2004 and are not covered by the Truth in Tuition Act will find that the increase will not put them at a disadvantage. The board stated that such students will find their tuitions to be slightly less than those of 2007-08’s incoming students.
With the tuition hike taken into consideration, NEIU’s enrollment costs will amount to 87 percent of the Illinois state university average. In a report released to the board, Hahs determined the official yearly cost for NEIU full-time undergrads newly enrolled in 2007-08 will be $5,150. In comparison, the yearly cost of attendance at the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana (the costliest Illinois state schools in her comparative study) is currently $7,102.
After the vote to approve the action, the floor was opened to the public. Student Jeremy Slate, a member of the Green Cycle Club, approached the podium and suggested that we think towards future costs as we begin new building and renovation on campus.
“Considering that a large percentage of the tuition increase has to due with utility expenses, and considering that energy prices have been rising recently and are going to rise more, we should try to aim for our new education building to be a green building,” said Slate.
He noted that a growing trend in green construction is being supported by Governor Blagojevich’s Energy Sustainability Task Force. Slate continued, “There was a recent study released that said that these types of buildings use one third the energy, while the cost premium of buildings of this type are only 1 percent to 2 percent higher than regular buildings.”
Walter Dudycz suggested that Slate and others who have ideas or concerns about the future of NEIU should submit their comments to the Board of Trustees in writing.