It is that time of year again when the highly-paid leaders of Arizona’s three public universities announce that they want to raise students’ tuition. Tuition proposals for the 2016-17 academic year were released last week by the presidents of Arizona State University, University of Arizona, and Northern Arizona University.
“All three of our universities have been engaged with their teams and the board over the past six years in an intensive, ongoing effort to find cost savings, establish and grow other sources of revenue, and evolve their financial models. At the same time, we are working toward ever-improving academic quality and student experience. The state’s part and partnership, not only as a funder but as a collaborator in this work, will be critically important this year and in years to come,” said Jay Heiler, Chairman of the Arizona Board of Regents, in a statement released last week.
Arizona’s regents have complained about cuts in education funding over the years, however, normalized data shows that the Board of Regents, ASU East Campus and UA HSC have experienced increased funding.
ASU proposal:
Last year, ASU leadership enacted a $320 surcharge to all resident students. ASU proposes reducing the surcharge by $50 to $270. The remainder of the surcharge will be kept in place until at least FY18. ASU leadership also is proposing to increase base tuition. For resident students (undergraduate and graduate), the increase proposed is $200 for the year. For non-resident and international undergraduate students the increase is $1,000 for the year. For non-resident and international graduate students the increase is $1,100 for the year.
UA proposal:
- For entering freshmen, the cost of the four-year guarantee including mandatory fees and tuition together will be higher than last year by 3.20% ($366) for residents and 7.20% ($2,337) for non-residents. By definition, this cost will not increase over the four years of the guarantee.
- For current undergraduate students who chose not to opt into the guarantee program (around 22% of undergraduate students), the change in mandatory fees and tuition together will be a 2.80% ($299) increase for residents and a 5.80% ($1,745) increase for non-residents.
- For graduate students the change in mandatory fees and tuition together will be a 2.80% ($355) increase for residents and a 5.80% ($1,765) increase for non-residents. A pilot tuition guarantee program was offered last year to selected Master’s degree students at the request of student leadership. No students chose to enroll in this program.
The 2.80% increase in tuition and fees for students who chose not to opt-in to the guaranteed tuition program will amount to a total of $2.6 million in revenue change. For the 78% of continuing students who are enrolled in the tuition guarantee plan, there is no change in tuition and the University will gain no new revenue per student FTE.
Any other increase in tuition revenue will not come from an increase in tuition rate but from enrollment growth or a change in the mix of resident and non-resident students.
NAU proposal:
Flagstaff campus
- New resident undergraduate students: $10,764
- New nonresident undergraduate students: $24,144
- Resident graduate students: $9,989 ($383 increase)
- Nonresident graduate students: $21,976 ($732 increase)
- Western Undergraduate Exchange Program students: $15,637 ($548 increase)
NAU-Yuma
- Resident undergraduate students: $7,508 ($330 increase)
- Nonresident undergraduate students: $20,410 ($706 increase)
Extended Campus sites (including online)
- Resident undergraduate students: $7,647 ($333 increase)
- Nonresident undergraduate students: $20,411 ($705 increase)
- Resident graduate students: $9,379 ($383 increase)
- Nonresident graduate students: $21,366 ($732 increase)
Personalized Learning
- Personalized Learning: $3,000/six-month period ($500 increase)
NAU-Yavapai
- Resident undergraduate students: $5,843 ($281 increase)
- Nonresident undergraduate students: $16,516 ($592 increase)
Mandatory fees
- Information Technology Fee: $14 per credit hour up to 24 credits per year ($5/credit hour increase)
Undergraduate program fees
- Geology: $700/semester for three semesters (replaces up to $1,820 in course fees)
- Hotel and Restaurant Management: $290/semester beginning the first semester of junior year (replaces up to $750 in course fees)
- Nursing Accelerated Program – Post-baccalaureate: $800/semester for three semesters ($267/semester increase, replaces $300 in course fees)
- Nursing: $600/semester for four semesters ($200/semester increase, replaces $600 in course fees)
- Nursing RN to BSN: $10/credit hour (replaces $150 in course fees)
Graduate program fees
Master’s
- Athletic Training
- $3,000/year for new program at Phoenix Biomedical Campus
- $2,000/year for Flagstaff Campus ($1,000/year increase)
- Clinical Speech – Language Pathology: $40/credit hour ($10/credit hour increase)
- Global Business Administration at Yuma: $6,000 for new program at NAU-Yuma (total program fee divided among four core courses)
- Public Administration: $1,500 (total program fee divided among five core courses)
- Physician Assistant Program: Increase to $14,000/year ($1000/year increase)
- Nursing and post-graduate Family Nurse Practitioner Certificate: Increase to $60/credit hour ($20/credit hour increase, replaces $265 in course fees)
Doctoral
- Nursing Practice: Increase to $60/credit hour ($20/credit hour increase)
From the Joint Legislative Budget Council:
FY 2015 Appropriations Report – Northern Arizona University
| Appropriations – Northern Arizona University | ACTUAL FY 2014 | ESTIMATE FY 2015 | APPROVED FY 2015 |
| FUND SOURCES | |||
| General Fund | 104,887,800 | 109,245,000 | 118,281,200 |
| Other Appropriated Funds | |||
| University Collections Fund | 107,409,100 | 120,281,100 | 120,281,100 |
| SUBTOTAL – Other Appropriated Funds | 107,409,100 | 120,281,100 | 120,281,100 |
| SUBTOTAL – Appropriated Funds | 212,296,900 | 229,526,100 | 238,562,300 |
| Other Non-Appropriated Funds | 179,638,100 | 188,657,700 | 191,057,600 |
| Federal Funds | 73,120,100 | 73,851,500 | 74,589,800 |
| TOTAL – ALL SOURCES | 465,055,100 | 492,035,300 | 504,209,700 |
| OPERATING SUBTOTAL | 198,658,500 | 212,283,800 | 212,783,800 |
| AGENCY TOTAL | 212,296,900 | 229,526,100 | 238,562,300 |
FY 2015 Appropriations Report – Tempe/DPC
| FY 2015 Appropriations – Tempe/DPC | ACTUAL FY 2014 | ESTIMATE FY 2015 | APPROVED FY 2015 |
| FUND SOURCES | |||
| General Fund | 255,735,200 | 270,228,200 | 290,104,300 |
| Other Appropriated Funds | |||
| University Collections Fund | 428,119,300 | 453,068,700 | 453,068,700 |
| SUBTOTAL – Other Appropriated Funds | 428,119,300 | 453,068,700 | 453,068,700 |
| SUBTOTAL – Appropriated Funds | 683,854,500 | 723,296,900 | 743,173,000 |
| Other Non-Appropriated Funds | 702,533,700 | 771,066,800 | 837,962,800 |
| Federal Funds | 266,869,100 | 279,165,300 | 288,448,000 |
| TOTAL – ALL SOURCES | 1,653,257,300 | 1,773,529,000 | 1,869,583,800 |
| OPERATING SUBTOTAL | 555,582,500 | 576,558,500 | 578,558,500 |
| AGENCY TOTAL | 683,854,500 | 723,296,900 | 743,173,000 |
FY 2015 Appropriations Report – ASU – East Campus
| FY 2015 Appropriations – ASU – East Campus | ACTUAL FY 2014 | ESTIMATE FY 2015 | APPROVED FY 2015 |
| FUND SOURCES | |||
| General Fund | 20,656,200 | 22,704,200 | 25,853,400 |
| Other Appropriated Funds | |||
| Technology and Research Initiative Fund | 2,000,000 | 2,000,000 | 2,000,000 |
| University Collections Fund | 31,547,500 | 33,691,700 | 33,691,700 |
| SUBTOTAL – Other Appropriated Funds | 33,547,500 | 35,691,700 | 35,691,700 |
| SUBTOTAL – Appropriated Funds | 54,203,700 | 58,395,900 | 61,545,100 |
| Other Non-Appropriated Funds | 10,862,900 | 18,273,600 | 18,634,300 |
| Federal Funds | 4,964,500 | 5,667,900 | 5,850,000 |
| TOTAL – ALL SOURCES | 70,031,100 | 82,337,400 | 86,029,400 |
| OPERATING SUBTOTAL | 49,537,800 | 51,981,100 | 51,981,100 |
| AGENCY TOTAL | 54,203,700 | 58,395,900 | 61,545,100 |
FY 2015 Appropriations Report – ASU – West Campus
| FY 2015 Appropriations ASU – West Campus | ACTUAL FY 2014 | ESTIMATE FY 2015 | APPROVED FY 2015 |
| FUND SOURCES | |||
| General Fund | 33,133,900 | 33,328,100 | 33,328,100 |
| Other Appropriated Funds | |||
| Technology and Research Initiative Fund | 1,600,000 | 1,600,000 | 1,600,000 |
| University Collections Fund | 37,054,200 | 39,380,300 | 39,380,300 |
| SUBTOTAL – Other Appropriated Funds | 38,654,200 | 40,980,300 | 40,980,300 |
| SUBTOTAL – Appropriated Funds | 71,788,100 | 74,308,400 | 74,308,400 |
| Other Non – Appropriated Funds | 10,613,600 | 21,168,900 | 21,683,800 |
| Federal Funds | 11,409,500 | 12,587,500 | 13,003,900 |
| TOTAL – ALL SOURCES | 93,811,200 | 108,064,800 | 108,996,100 |
| OPERATING SUBTOTAL | 70,188,100 | 72,708,400 | 72,708,400 |
| AGENCY TOTAL | 71,788,100 | 74,308,400 | 74,308,400 |
FY 2015 Appropriations Report – U of A – Main Campus
| FY 2015 Appropriations U of A – Main Campus | ACTUAL FY 2014 | ESTIMATE FY 2015 | APPROVED FY 2015 |
| FUND SOURCES | |||
| General Fund | 207,555,900 | 208,501,000 | 209,341,200 |
| Other Appropriated Funds | |||
| University Collections Fund | 267,677,300 | 271,507,700 | 271,507,700 |
| SUBTOTAL – Other Appropriated Funds | 267,677,300 | 271,507,700 | 271,507,700 |
| SUBTOTAL – Appropriated Funds | 475,233,200 | 480,008,700 | 480,848,900 |
| Other Non-Appropriated Funds | 854,266,300 | 879,757,800 | 881,711,000 |
| Federal Funds | 278,807,800 | 290,399,200 | 292,794,400 |
| TOTAL – ALL SOURCES | 1,608,307,300 | 1,650,165,700 | 1,655,354,300 |
| OPERATING SUBTOTAL | 406,008,300 | 408,597,000 | 410,597,000 |
| AGENCY TOTAL | 475,233,200 | 480,008,700 | 480,848,900 |
FY 2015 Appropriations – U of A – Health Sciences Center
| FY 2015 Appropriations U of A – Health Sciences Center | ACTUAL FY 2014 | ESTIMATE FY 2015 | APPROVED FY 2015 |
| FUND SOURCES | |||
| General Fund | 61,351,600 | 69,585,300 | 69,585,300 |
| Other Appropriated Funds | |||
| University Collections Fund | 40,808,800 | 41,117,000 | 41,117,000 |
| SUBTOTAL – Other Appropriated Funds | 40,808,800 | 41,117,000 | 41,117,000 |
| SUBTOTAL – Appropriated Funds | 102,160,400 | 110,702,300 | 110,702,300 |
| Other Non-Appropriated Funds | 176,849,300 | 203,419,700 | 215,490,800 |
| Federal Funds | 100,898,400 | 115,341,100 | 123,682,600 |
| TOTAL – ALL SOURCES | 379,908,100 | 429,463,100 | 449,875,700 |
| OPERATING SUBTOTAL | 71,383,300 | 70,153,600 | 70,153,600 |
| AGENCY TOTAL | 102,160,400 | 110,702,300 | 110,702,300 |