The University could increase program fees and implement temporary additional charges to compensate for $90 million in lost revenue caused by cuts in state funding, ASU President Michael Crow said.
“If we don’t raise program fees in those schools, we’ll have to decrease enrollment,” Crow said in a meeting with The State Press editorial board on Monday. “The cost of having the students is too high [without additional funding].”
Program fee increases would affect the schools of journalism, engineering and nursing, among others, Crow said. The University is also considering adding a temporary surcharge to tuition across the board, which would expire when funding to the University is restored.
Crow did not give specific numbers for the fee increases, but said the temporary surcharge would likely be relieved by the tax credit given to families with children in college under the recently passed federal stimulus package.
“The surcharge would be a temporary, if successful, measure to recover revenue,” Crow said. “When the state recovers [economically], and additional investments are made, the surcharge will go away.”
The University could also implement a yearly fee for the Health and Wellness Center, a fee that is standard at most state universities, he said.
Crow added that he would work to keep accessibility high, allowing students in difficult financial situations to enroll and stay enrolled in University programs.
“We [will] maintain all of our commitments to financial aid,” Crow said. “If your family has been negatively affected by the recession, then you’re eligible for more financial aid.”
Crow warned, however, that access, which is largely determined by financial aid, could decrease starting next year if the state continues to cut funding.
“The state of Arizona has to understand that the state is growing, and it needs to continue to invest [in education] to deal with growth,” Crow said.
Amid rumors of campus closures and program cutbacks, Crow said he plans to keep ASU growing in the vision of the “New American University.” This means focusing on increasing enrollment, growing the size of the faculty and enhancing the University’s national reputation.
“Have we varied from [the New American University vision]?” Crow said. “No, because hell hasn’t frozen over.”
Crow also said his plans to create a system of local colleges catering to students ineligible for admission to the University have not been delayed or even canceled.
“Nothing’s on hold,” Crow said. “We need [the local colleges] because that’s a way for us to have a lower state investment model.”
Undergraduate Student Government President Mark Appleton was hesitant to comment on the proposals, but cautioned University officials to keep tuition and fees low during the financial crisis.
“In my mind, students are always the least able to take on the extra burden,” Appleton said. “Increases in tuition and fees always mean more student loans and having to work hours [during which] you should be studying.”
Computer science sophomore Sean Keel said he opposes the Health and Wellness Center fee, which he said already charges unreasonable prices for its service.
“You already have to pay a fee of, like, $50 just to see if something’s wrong, and you have to pay more to keep following up,” Keel said. “A lot of people already have trouble going there.”
Reach the reporter at derek.quizon@asu.edu.
