April 4, 2008
Albuquerque Journal
UNM Tuition Hike Lower Than Expected
By Martin Salazar, Journal Staff WriterUNM tuition and fee increases
Undergraduates at the University of New Mexico got a reprieve of sorts Thursday, when the Board of Regents approved a 4.85 percent tuition increase— smaller than the 6.9 percent hike previously proposed.
With fee increases added in, full-time resident undergraduates will see tuition and fees go up by 5.7 percent, or nearly $263 a year. That will bring their annual tuition and fee bill to $4,834.
Nonresident undergraduates will pay $15,708 next year, or 5.1 percent more. The increases take effect this summer.
"I'm recommending we go with the lowest tuition increase possible," UNM President David Schmidly told the board.
He said the university has found other revenues to offset pay increases and priorities like extending library hours, boosting salaries of the lowest-paid employees and retaining faculty.
And, he said, the university will add more money to scholarships with $1 million from endowments. Part of the money for Schmidly's priorities will come from $3 million that is being reallocated from existing budgets and fund balances.
"I'm thrilled to death about it," Regent President Jamie Koch said, referring to the lower tuition increase.
Schmidly also told the board he planned to explore a system in which incoming freshmen would pay the same tuition for four years. And he wants to look at establishing "block tuition," with students paying the same amount for any credit hours above 12.
If enacted, Schmidly said, the changes would encourage students to graduate in four years.
He also said he would like to adopt a five-year tuition plan so that tuition increases aren't fluctuating so much.
Because of the budget approved by the Legislature, UNM had to raise tuition by 2 percent or take a funding cut. The fee increase was due, in part, to a student board recommendation to generate more money for student services.
Residents To See 5.7 Percent Jump
UNDERGRADUATES: resident, 5.7 percent; nonresident, 5.1 percent
COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES: resident, 5.6 percent; nonresident, 5.1 percent
Anderson Schools of Management: resident 24.3 percent; nonresident, 12.3 percent
Architecture: resident, 7.6 percent; nonresident, 5.8 percent
School of Law: resident, 9.8 percent; nonresident, 5 percent
Pharmacy: resident, 5.2 to 5.4 percent; nonresident, 5 percent
School of Medicine: 4.8 percent
BRANCH CAMPUSES: Gallup: resident, 1.7 percent; nonresident, 0.8 percent
Los Alamos: resident, 4 percent; nonresident, 4.5 percent
Valencia: resident, 5.8 percent; nonresident, .5 percent
Taos: resident, 1.8 percent; nonresident, 2.3 percent