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  Board approves $2 tuition hike

    By JJ Ossola
  
 IV Leader Staff

    Students will be paying $2 more per credit hour after a tuition increase for the fall semester was approved by the board of trustees.
    The vote means students will pay $63.25 per credit hour, which includes tuition and the standard universal fee.
    Student Government Association sent the board a letter of support approving the proposed increase.
    The tuition increase is part of a statewide trend. Rules from the Illinois Community College Board, the state governing agency over two-year schools, force community colleges to maintain a tuition cost equal to or greater than 85 percent of the state’s average community college tuition.
    Interim President Charles Novak said, “I had suggested that we raise the tuition by $3 per credit hour so that we could have a cushion. Although we won’t really know for a while yet, I really believe that other colleges are going to go up $5 a credit hour. I think this trend will go on for awhile and IVCC will be forced to catch up every year.”
    In January the board of trustees was made aware that the college might fall under the mandated 85 percent level if other community college’s implemented $4 to $5 increases.
    Since IVCC is towards the low end of the tuition cost per credit hour and universal fees, if even a minority of schools raise their tuition, the rules will force the school to meet the criteria or lose its equalization funding.
    Board member Dave Mallery said, “This (law) does seem to unfairly penalize institutions that maintain the cost controls that allow for lower tuition.”
    Mallery expressed in the January board meeting that although a class may cost less in per semester tuition and universal fees compared to other community colleges, lab fees drive the overall cost up dramatically for students.
    Student trustee Matt Simko was asked to look into the impact of the tuition increase on the student body at the January meeting.
    In February, the school administration gathered student input on the tuition increase through the Student Government Association.
    Jerry Corcoran, vice president of business and finance, and Controller Cheryl Roelfsema met with the SGA to outline the need for a tuition increase.“This is an example of how we can engage people in more dialogue,” said Corcoran. “I’m proud of the work they (SGA) do.”
    While SGA members said in the Feb. 16 issue of IV Leader that open student forums to disucss the tuition increase would be planned, those meeting have not yet been scheduled.
    Several board members were asked to comment on the tuition increase and the possibility of future increases, but no one other than Mallery responded for this article.
 

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