The University of Alaska will increase tuition for the entire system for a second year in a row, and it’s higher than what its administrators recommended.
The Board of Regents approved increasing tuition across the board by 4% next year during a meeting Friday despite an initial proposal from administrators of only 3%.
Student Regent Fernando Escobar proposed the additional increase to fund mental health initiatives. He said mental health services have not been funded for five years and suggested higher tuition as another way for the university to meet the need.
“I’m optimistic this legislative session, but I have to be realistic, and I think this may be our best approach for right now in order to support student needs in the system,” he said.
The board is requesting $965,000 in mental health services across the three campuses for the next fiscal year. State funding for the university goes through the Alaska Legislature for approval.
UA President Pat Pitney said the 4% increase is beyond what she considers to be a “modest” increase. She said they recommended the 3% increase as a way to avoid a large increase while factoring in rising costs.
“It also balances that there are anticipated fee increases in housing and dining services as we’re working on our auxiliary enterprises,” she said.
Regent Karen Purdue said she wants to see a way for progress to be made on providing mental health support to students.
“One way to think about this is it could be the students’ skin in the game to go ahead and continue to advocate at the Legislature for some, so some portion of the mental health would, there would be progress made, finally, on this issue,” she said.
Payton Callahan is the chair of the Coalition of Student Leaders, a group that represents students across the university system. She testified that many students already oppose any increase, and that the 4% figure might “blindside” students.
“I don’t know that that aligns with trying to keep retention, because I don’t know that students, frankly, can afford that increase, considering the current economic state,” Callahan said.
Union of Students University of Alaska Anchorage, the student government for the Anchorage campus, passed a resolution last month requesting the board increase the tuition by just 2% instead.
But not every incoming student will see higher tuition next year. Out-of-state undergraduate students at the University of Alaska Southeast will pay in-state tuition for the first time. That’s still a lower rate than what they currently pay.
But UAS Chancellor Aparna Palmer said the additional increase might affect the campus’ ability to recruit Alaskans.
“My sense is that we would still be a great deal in terms of out-of-state students,” she said. “But in terms of in-state students, we may not get that buy-in if we go to 4%”
Regents approved the increase unanimously, with Regent Seth Church absent. The new tuition rates will go into effect next fall.