State College Tuition Hikes Proposed

Tuition at Middlesex Community College would increase by about 3.1 percent, or $108, under tuition hikes under consideration now by the state’s Board of Regents for Higher Education.

The board meets Thursday and will consider a proposed “modest increase” in tuition and fees for 16 of its 17 institutions, including all 12 of its community colleges and the four Connecticut State Universities, Eastern, Western, Southern and Central. Charter Oak State College reviews its tuition and fees in June.

The recommendations, according to a press release on behalf of the regents, would be, on average, a 3.1 percent increase, or $108, for community college tuition next year. At the four state colleges, the average tuition increase in the 2012-2013 academic year would be 3.8 percent or $315 per commuter and 3.7 percent, or $676, for in-state college residents.

The increase will fall below the historical average increases for both the community colleges and four state colleges, the Regents said in a press release announcing the proposed tuition hikes.

“While reviewing tuition and fee proposals, we were mindful of a few things,” said Michael P. Meotti, executive vice president of the Board of Regents.  “First, our state colleges and universities provide an excellent opportunity for residents to pursue a degree and enhance or learn new career skills, many of whom may otherwise not be able to given the rising price of higher education. We cannot allow this opportunity to move beyond their reach. Secondly, we were highly cognizant of our still-fragile economic recovery and its impact on families across the state. This recommended increase will allow our state colleges and universities to hire additional faculty and stay competitive among their peer schools, without overburdening their students.”

“We’re taking every opportunity to review operations, contracts and other expenditures associated with the former community college and state university systems with an eye toward greater efficiencies and savings in this new organization,” said Dr. Robert A. Kennedy, Board of Regents’ interim president. “Our goal is to redirect those savings back to the campuses to enable them to hire more faculty. The state universities and community colleges offer a great education at a competitive price and we need to do everything we can to ensure their reputation for affordability and accessibility continues.”