AWC tuition hike starts with summer classes
Students taking classes at Arizona Western College will be paying higher tuition starting this summer.
As of May 27, tuition will increase $10 per credit hour, an increase from $46 to $56 per credit hour, said Carole Coleman, director of financial services and controller at AWC.
The increase is needed to offset an anticipated decrease in state funding and reduction in funds due to tax levy restrictions mandated by a voter-approved ballot measure, Coleman said.
This is the largest increase in tuition the college has seen in years, said Michelle Sims, AWC public relations and marketing director.
For at least eight years, the governing board has maintained a commitment to increase tuition by no more than $1 per credit hour, she said.
"But with these mandatory obstacles - we can't impact aspects of our budget now - we have to increase tuition. I know it's not been an easy decision; it's been very hard for the administration and governing board, but it definitely was a necessary decision," Sims said.
Even with the increase, AWC continues to be ranked in the middle in state community college tuition rates, she said.
In the 2007-2008 school year, AWC tuition went up $6 per credit hour, but class fees were reduced to help ease the increase.
Proposition 101, approved by voters in November 2006, limits the tax levy to the 2005 base year plus 2 percent of value of new construction occurring since then.
"We rely very heavily on property taxes for our support for the revenue for the college," Coleman said. "That really had an impact on the college and so it lowered our primary tax rate."
Before Proposition 101, the primary tax rate in the college's district was $1.8733 per $100.
Because of Prop 101, the tax rate dropped to $1.7345 for the current school year and is projected to drop to $1.5785 in the 2008-2009 school year.
The tax rate had increased each year until Proposition 101 went into effect, Coleman said.
In addition, the state budget deficit will reduce funding for AWC next school year by 10 percent - or a decrease of $660,000, Coleman said.
The amount could be greater if pending legislation is passed, she said, adding this amount has not been figured into the budget.
"At this point in time, they're not confirmed, but we do know that with what's pending out there, it could have over a million (dollars) impact on us," Coleman said.
Gerardo Lastra, a first-year student at AWC, was planning to take summer courses. But because his classes are six-credit courses, he's having second thoughts about enrolling in them.
He said most of his financial aid money goes to pay the dorm rent, and that he has to pay for classes out of his own pocket.
If he receives the same amount of financial aid in the future, he said, the full-time student might not take summer classes, in order to save up for next semester, he said.
Marcelo Peña, a media arts major at the college, said he would be cutting back on textbooks if he's unable to afford them after paying most of his tuition out of pocket.
"If I can't meet the requirements for the books, I just don't get them because I'd rather be in the class."
He also said he hopes to see the increase in tuition come with an increase in financial aid.
"It's just ridiculous," Peña said. Even for those whose financial aid fully pays for classes, "who wants to pay extra for anything? Nobody."
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Juana M. Gyek can be reached at jgyek@yumasun.com or 539-6872.
