The University of Alaska Board of Regents voted in support of a 5 percent tuition increase for 2016 on Wednesday.
Kenai Peninsula College’s Kenai River Campus Student Union President Jayce Robertson and three other local campus representatives traveled to Anchorage to testify in support of the tuition hike based on a student poll.
Robertson: “We polled our students during a monthly food event, we had 110 votes: 56 votes were in support of a potential increase, 51 opposed, and three were undeclared.”
UA President Jim Johnsen originally proposed a 9 percent increase following the recent $6.8 million reduction in state funding the statewide system has experienced. The increase was amended to 5 percent by board members citing concern for burden on students.
Robertson says he personally supports the tuition hike as a way to keep the level of education that KPC students receive.
Robertson: “Especially in tough economic times, you have to be willing to give a little to get a little. So this now five percent increase is going to directly affect the students but it could potentially affect them very positively by retaining faculty, adjunct, specific programs or other facets that the college offers.”
The state previously told University officials that around 4.5 percent of their 2016 general funding will be cut, amounting to between $15 and 16 million.
The 5 percent tuition hike will provide somewhere between $5 and 6 million in revenue.