ASU recommends modest adjustment to approved tuition plan

Arizona State University has submitted a recommendation to the Arizona Board of Regents for an increase in tuition that would replace only 40 percent of an anticipated additional $78 million reduction in state investment. The university plans to absorb the remainder of the reduction through further cuts and efficiency measures.
 
In Feb. 2010, the university received approval from ABOR for a two-year tuition plan that was taken in response to state investment reductions in fiscal years 2009 and 2010. The two-year plan, which runs through the end of the 2012 academic year, was designed to provide the funding needed to maintain program quality and availability for ASU students while, at the same time, recognizing the need to make substantial reductions in spending to limit the size of tuition increases and meet ABOR’s directive that spending be reduced by $45 million.
 
The amount of the additional proposed increase for in-state undergraduate students over the previous plan ranges from $314 to $536, depending on the student’s year of admission to the university. The total of the planned increase plus the additional request ranges from $1,198 to $1,415. For a complete list of current and proposed tuition rates for undergraduate and graduate students, both in-state and out-of-state, please see http://asu.edu/yourtuition.
 
Since 2002, the university’s enrollment has grown by 34 percent, and the number of graduates it produces has grown by 45 percent. The transition from a low-tuition/low-access model to a moderate-tuition/high access model has enabled the university to provide financial aid that greatly increases the affordability of a college education for students from low- and middle-income families. ASU’s incoming freshman class in fall 2010 was not only more academically qualified than any previous class in history but also more reflective of the demographics of Arizona.
 
The ASU tuition proposal also includes changes in differential tuition and program fees, which vary based on the major in which students are enrolled. The university is requesting that tuition differentials and program fees be extended to freshmen and sophomores in most professional programs, based on the increases in enrollment and retention that resulted from a successful pilot program in engineering.
 
The proposed cut in state investment of $78 million comes on top of previous cuts totaling $104 million. The university already absorbed more than $45 million of prior cuts through eliminating more than 1,200 jobs, closing programs and consolidating schools.
 
Tuition hearings are scheduled to take place from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., March 28, at the following locations:
 
• Tempe campus, Old Main, Carson Ballroom
 
• Polytechnic campus, Cooley, Ballroom B
 
• West campus, La Sala, Ballroom C
 
• Downtown Phoenix campus, NHI2, room 110
 
Those who cannot attend the hearing can send their comments via e-mail to Peggy Martin, Arizona Board of Regents, at (peggy.martin@azregents.edu), by regular mail, at 2020 N. Central Ave., Suite 230, Phoenix, AZ 85004, or by fax at (602) 229-2555. All comments received prior to April 5 will be shared with the regents in advance of the April 7 ABOR meeting.
 
To review proposed tuition rates and specific differential tuition for school, program and course fee increases, visit the Web page www.asu.edu/yourtuition.

MEDIA CONTACT:
Terri Shafer, terri.shafer@asu.edu
(480) 965-3865 direct line  /  (602) 363-2318 cell