Colleges eye higher tuition for honors, high-cost programs

Capital News Service
By SIERRA RESOVSKY
LANSING — To cover the costs of honors and higher-priced degree programs, public universities across the state are moving toward differential tuition, charging more for programs that are more expensive to deliver, have a high demand or high job placement according to a report by the Presidents Council. Undergraduate programs such as engineering, health sciences, business administration and computer science all require more funding, whether it be for lab equipment, smaller class sizes or a higher faculty to student ratio. And some public universities are requiring students to pay out-of-pocket for those curricula. “Although it has been a slow-growing practice in American public higher education in the past decade, the primary rationale is to charge students more of a market rate for specific programs or groups of programs they’re enrolled in, especially those that cost more to run,” said Dan Hurley, chief executive officer of the Presidents Council, State Universities of Michigan. Although the 15 public institutions in the state set their own tuition, those with differential tutition charge engineering majors more than a cheaper-to-educate English major, whether they’re coming from in or out-of-state.

Less state money means colleges, students struggle

By BROOKE KANSIER
Capital News Service
LANSING — State funding for higher education has seen a dramatic reduction in the past few decades — and students are feeling the budget squeeze. Despite increases in the past four years, Michigan spending on higher education is still 4 percent below 2011 when funds were slashed – and still lagging nearly 28 percent behind pre-recession funding, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, a policy institute based in Washington, D.C.
That amounts to an average $1,631 less per student than in 2008. “When one looks at the long view of state investment in higher education, it marks a rather dramatic decline,” said Daniel Hurley, chief executive officer of the Presidents Council, State Universities of Michigan, which lobbies on behalf of the 15 state universities. Representative and Higher Education Appropriations Subcommittee member Jeff Irwin, D–Ann Arbor, said the lack of funding for higher education is irresponsible. “Higher education used to be a tool used by the public through state government to enhance social mobility, to give people a hand up, to give people an opportunity to develop their skills and contribute more to their community and to their family, and the state government has turned its back on that responsibility,” he said.

Proposed tuition caps could strain public universities

By BROOKE KANSIER
Capital News Service
LANSING — Gov. Rick Snyder’s new budget proposal would raise funding for Michigan’s public universities — but that money would come with a catch. The proposed 2 percent increase would mean about $28 million more for higher education and raise the total state budget for universities to $1.544 billion. But in order to claim their share of the increase, universities would have to work with a limit of 2.8 percent when increasing next year’s tuition rates. “So the question universities have to ask themselves is, do I want to forgo that money and exceed the cap? Or do I make it work?” said Mike Boulus, executive director of the Presidents Council, a nonprofit organization representing Michigan’s 15 public universities.

Lawmakers propose tuition help for Michigan National Guard

By DANIELLE WOODWARD
Capital News Service
LANSING — Members of the Michigan National Guard could get $4,500 in tuition assistance under a bill recently introduced by legislators. It would set up a program where members could apply for help towards a college degree or vocational training, said Rep. Bruce Rendon, R-Lake City, who sponsored the bill. It’s an attempt to raise the state from the bottom ranks of those offering assistance to veterans, Rendon said. “To qualify, one would have to have a service contract with the Michigan National Guard where they have committed to a six-year contract at some point in their career,” said Brig. Gen. Mike Stone of the Michigan National Guard.

Undocumented immigrants face higher tuition at some Michigan colleges and universities

By DARCIE MORAN
Capital News Service
LANSING — A college acceptance letter isn’t always all it’s cracked up to be. For many undocumented immigrants in Michigan and their children, the application process is just one hurdle on the road to a college education. “They’ve invested so much in their education but when they come to go to college, that’s when the road closes on them,” said Jose Franco, founder of One Michigan, a Detroit-based group that works for immigrant rights. Some Michigan public universities offer in-state tuition rates for undocumented students. But many four-year colleges and most community colleges don’t – even though students may have lived their entire life in the state.

MSU Increases Room and Board

Michigan State University explains why they decided to raise room and board rates by 3.9 percent for the 2013-2014 school year. What Kathy Collins, CLSRL Director, says is the university’s lowest increase in thirteen years will go towards debt costs and future improvements on campus. Focal Point’s Cortni Moore has the story.

Community colleges boost out-of-state enrollments, revenue

By SILU GUO
Capital News Service
LANSING – Community colleges in Michigan are enrolling more out-of-state students and international students, a trend that may add dollars to their budgets. Among 28 community colleges, 21 have an out-of-state and international tuition rate twice as high as in-district tuition, according to the Michigan Community College Association. For example, tuition at Lansing Community College this fall is $81 per credit hour for in-district students, $162 for out-of-district students and $243 for out-of-state and international students. Tuition at Northwestern Michigan Community College is similar: $84.60 per credit hour for in-district students, $165.90 for out-of-district students and $212.45 for out-of-state and international students. Mike Hansen, president of the association, said many colleges are targeting students who pay higher tuition rates, at least in part to solve their serious budget problems.
He said it’s hard to keep up with rising costs.

Community college network to promote affordability

By LAUREN GENTILE
Capital News Service
LANSING – Community colleges may find themselves becoming a branded network within the next year to polish their image and show the public they are an affordable option for higher education. “We are working on making the 28 individualized colleges more of a state system and able to help one another promote each other,” said Michael Hansen, president of the Michigan Community College Association, said. Hansen said branding will be more than a logo. It will be a “new community college network.”

“As an association, we believe there is a lack of understanding by the public, that community colleges offer a high-quality education at a low-cost,” Hansen said. “Community colleges also offer programs that offer direct-market payoff, and you can graduate with a career.”
The plan will help colleges list opportunities and offerings for prospective students in one location.

Partnerships help students earn two degrees

By LAUREN GENTILE
Capital News Service
LANSING – Many students are finding a new way to get a four-year degree for a lower cost through degree completion programs at their local community colleges. “Degree completion or transfer programs are run by a community college with the help of a four-year institution,” Michael Hansen, president of the Michigan Community College Association, said. “Most programs are either two or three years at the community college, then one at the university.”
Campuses all over the state have partnered with colleges to make “big university dreams” come true at an affordable rate, Hansen said. “These programs allow students to pay the community college tuition rate, sometimes for up to 90 credits,” he said. For example, Macomb Community College worked with Oakland University to create the state’s first concurrent enrollment program.

Democratic tuition grant program draws fire

By JON GASKELL
Capital News Service
LANSING– Senate Democrats are pushing a proposal that would provide tuition grants for in-state public university and community college students who attend Michigan schools from kindergarten through 12th grade. Students who attend Michigan public, private, charter or home schools from kindergarten through high school would be eligible for the grants. Those who go to schools elsewhere would be eligible for a portion of the grants based on time spent in Michigan schools. The annual grants would be equal to the median tuition of Michigan’s public universities, currently $9,575 a year. Democrats are drafting legislation for both the House and Senate and expect to introduce it in coming weeks.