Trustees raise tuition 4.7 percent, but hold line on other fees

Editor

After a month-long delay, the Washtenaw Community College Board of Trustees approved an across-the-board increase in tuition rates by 4.7 percent, amounting in a $4 increase for in-district students.

According to Board Chair Pamela Horiszny, increasing the rate was not an easy decision for her and the other trustees, but was done out of necessity due to trends in reduced enrollment and lower property tax assessments.

“Based on our major sources of revenue, this is the best we could do in terms of keeping costs low,” Horiszny said.

In March, trustees began looking into how much of an increase was needed to keep up the college’s bottom line. Trustees had two options, raising tuition by $4 or $5 per credit hour.

Horiszny told The Washtenaw Voice after receiving the two options that her main priority was to keep tuition as low as possible.

Departmental fees will change in two areas. GED testing prices will be raised from $25 to $40, but only at two of six of the college’s testing locations. Work Keys Testing, a form of ACT testing that assesses job and training skill needs for employers, will also be added as a new item for departmental fees next year.

WCC will be listed as a registered Work Keys testing center next year as well. Testing for Work Keys is not currently available at the college.

Trustees had all but decided that the 4.7 percent was the best option a month ago, according to Horiszny, but delayed a formal vote on the issue until it could be done at the regularly scheduled April 24 meeting.

Although trustees strived to keep the college’s rates affordable, some students are not buying into the need of an increase.

“I don’t understand it,” said student Brian Wier, 32, from Ypsilanti. “The college doesn’t look like it’s struggling at all.”

Yet Janelle Chandler, 23, Ypsilanti, isn’t worried about price, as long as the need is evident.

“I wish it wasn’t that much for in-district students, but if the college needs it, I definitely understand the necessity,” she said. “Everyone is raising tuition. We’re no different.”

2012-13 TUITION AND FEES INVENTORY*

Tuition Rate Changes:
	2011-12	2012-13
In-District	$85/ credit hr.	$89/ credit hr.
Out-of-District	$136/ credit hr.	$142/ credit hr.
Out-of-State	$179/ credit hr.	$187/ credit hr.
Work-in-District	$85/ credit hr.	$89/ credit hr.
Property-in-District	$85/ credit hr.	$89/ credit hr.
GED Testing:
Washtenaw County Jail	$25	$40
Maxey Boys Training School	$25	$40
Work Keys Testing:
Battery Cost:	New Item	$125/ test
Individual Test	New Item	$75/ test
Practice Test	New Item	$5/ test
Areas not affected by the increase include:
	2011-12	2012-13
Fees per credit hour:
Technology/Enrollment	$7/ credit hr.	No Change
Credit by examination	$25/ credit hr.	No Change
Course repeat fee	$200/ credit hr.	No Change
Fees per transaction:
Late registration	$25	No Change
Delinquent payment	$25/ month	No Change
Delinquent diploma	$20	No Change
Returned Check	$25	No Change
Special Transcript Service	$20	No Change
Student ID Replacement	$10	No Change
Loan Processing Fee	$25	No Change
Testing:
Academic testing	$30 per test	No Change
Corporate testing	$30 per test	No Change
Children’s Center Rates:
Registration
Students	$10	No Change
Staff	$20	No Change
Child fees
Students	$3/ hr.	No Change
Staff	$4/ hr.	No Change
Full time discount	10 percent/ 30 hrs. a week	No Change
Sibling discount	15 percent/ 2nd-3rd child	No Change
Library fees:
Community Card (annual)	$15	No Change
Overdue materials
Circulation books	$.15/ day-book	No Change
Closed reserve (2 hr.)	$.50/ hr.	No Change
3-day; 1-week reserve	$1	No Change
Overnight	$1	No Change