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Regents informed of no tuition increase

by Courtney Bullard, staff writer

Tuition for Fall 2007 is going up for the first time since 2003.

The South Plains College Board of Regents voted to raise tuition by $6 per credit hour during their April meeting because the Texas Senate has decreased funding for community colleges.

“Unfortunately, appropriations from the state was not enough to meet our needs,” said Dr. Sharp, president of South Plains College. “We’re asking for an increase to move forward with the positions we need to fill, equipment we need to replace, and most importantly, pay increases for faculty and staff.”

The Regents expressed how important it is that that the college continues to provide affordable education, but they want to continue to maintain a quality environment for students.

“I hope it doesn’t cause any barriers for students,” said Dr. Sharp.

The increase will be in the instructional support fee, which means that the tuition for all students will be raised, including in-district, out-of-district and non-resident students.

For the past three years, the average student taking 30 hours for two semesters would pay $2,312.  The tuition increase will bring it to $2,402.