BGSU trustees increase tuition

BOWLING GREEN — With an $11 million drop in state funding for the new academic year, Bowling Green State University is counting on more students paying more tuition to make up the difference.

The board of trustees on Friday approved a 3.5 percent increase in undergraduate tuition. The increase, coupled with the 350 additional undergraduates and 50 new transfer students expected this fall, is forecast to bring in $12.5 million.

Sheri Stoll, chief financial officer and vice president for finance and administration, said that for the first time, student fees will constitute more than 70 percent of the university’s annual revenue — nearly $202 million of the $285.7 million budget for the main campus. The state’s share is down to 24.5 percent, or $70 million. In 2009, student fees were less than 65 percent of the total; state aid was nearly 30 percent.

BGSU President Carol Cartwright, who retires next week, said after the meeting that the trend was “worrisome.”

“We’ve noted for a long time that there’s a very close relationship between the amount of state support and the amount of student support through their tuition,” she said. “Because there are individual benefits, there is a student share that’s quite defensible, and because there are state benefits and societal benefits we want to make sure that the state’s share is strengthened. What it tells us is that relationship is moving in the wrong direction.”

Ms. Cartwright said the trend is true nationwide.

“It is worrisome because we should all care about sustaining a strong system and we don’t want to be pricing a higher education out of the reach of our citizens because there are so many significant benefits,” Ms. Cartwright said.

With the 3.5 percent increase in tuition, full-time undergraduates will pay $168 more per semester, or $10,044 per year in tuition and fees. That includes a new $60-per-semester facility fee to help pay for the $36 million Stroh Center, a sports complex and arena for men’s and women’s basketball, women’s volleyball, and gymnastics. In a campuswide referendum in 2009, students agreed to pay the fee for the 30-year term of the building debt.

Students at the University of Toledo also will notice a 3.5 percent increase in tuition this fall. Trustees approved the increase earlier this week, bringing the annual cost of tuition and fees at UT to $8,788. Graduate, medical school, and pharmacy tuition is to rise 6.5 percent, while law school tuition will rise 5 percent.

Tuition and fees at private, nonprofit U.S. colleges and universities for the 2011-2012 academic year will rise an average of 4.6 percent, exceeding inflation, according to a survey of 429 institutions.

Tuition hikes have hovered in the mid-4 percent range over the last three years, according to the Washington-based National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities.

At BGSU, Ms. Stoll said there will be no increase in graduate or out-of-state tuition, and the tuition rate for online courses will be the same as the traditional classroom rate.

The budget approved by trustees includes $481,000 for faculty to teach additional course sections because of the expected 2.8 percent increase in enrollment, $570,000 to make staff added in admissions and enrollment permanent, and $600,000 to add and retain staff in development.

Trustees also approved a $14.8 million budget for the Firelands campus near Huron, Ohio.

In other business Friday, trustees:

Agreed to hire a consultant to create plans to replace housing for fraternities and sororities. Steven Krakoff, associate vice president for capital planning and design, said a large part of the process will involve meeting with undergraduate Greek chapters and members as well as alumni and community members.

Renamed the former Haven House apartments on East Wooster Street purchased earlier this year “Falcon Landing” to signify they are now university-owned.

Approved professor emeritus status to Robert Boughton, who has been a part of the physics and astronomy department for 31 years. He retired this month.

Agreed to transfer the Eva Marie Saint Theatre from University Hall to the new theater inside the Wolfe Center for the Arts. Last year, Ms. Saint, a 1946 BGSU graduate and Academy Award-winning actress, was named one of BGSU’s 100 most prominent alumni.

Named the graduate student work area and lounge in the Wolfe Center the Drs. Carol & Phil Cartwright Room in honor of the departing president and her husband, who donated $25,000 to the Wolfe Center and $25,000 to the “Bring Back the Glory” campaign, which supports the hockey program and ice arena.

Before the end of the meeting, trustees took turns thanking Ms. Cartwright and wishing her well.

“I want to thank you in one word: momentum,” said Trustee William Primrose, III, who was named chairman of the board for the coming year. “The momentum you’ve created has been amazing.”

BGSU’s 11th president, Mary Ellen Mazey, begins July 1.

Information from The Blade’s news services was used in this report.

Contact Jennifer Feehan at: jfeehan@theblade.com or 419-724-6129.