UNM tuition hike is anyone’s guess

If I had to choose between food and blogging (never food blogging) I’d always go with food.

But today is special.

Today UNM is setting its budget for next fiscal year, which begins July 1. Regents — there are seven of them, and for once, they are all here – today are considering the administration’s proposed budget, which includes double-digit tuition and fee increases.

The discussion on this began shortly ago and was paused for a ceremony honoring former regents Jake Wellman and Carolyn Abeita, who just wrapped up their terms. We’ll be back in session in about 20.

Already, I’ve noted some resistance from regents on the new plan that would unblock tuition and charge students per credit hour, as opposed to for the 12 hours or more block it charges now.

That plan would reward students who take 15 or more credit hours by offering them a lower tuition rate than those who take 12 hours or less. UNM administrators hope this will increase the school’s dismal 15 percent graduation rate and its also lacking six-year rate of 45.8 percent. They also say it will help keep student debt low and get students in the workforce faster.

On Friday those tuition increases were 14 percent, from $6,050 for all full-time students who take 12 credit hours or more to $6,918 for students who stick to 12 hours. That’s a 14 percent increase.

For students who take at 15 credit hours, the cost of tuition and fees would be $6,657. Because UNM doesn’t currently charge for any credit hours beyond 12, meaning if a student who takes 15 hours now pays the same tuition rate as one who takes 12 hours, the plan would also impose new costs.

Today the president presented a modified plan that slightly decreases the cost for credit hour but keeps the main concept the same – the more courses a student takes, the cheaper their tuition is.

Regents president Jack Fortner is skeptical. He told administrators today that he worries students who can’t take more than 12 hours, such as those who work, will be punished.

He also is not a fan of the idea that students should graduate in four years.

“Let’s be more realistic. Let’s look at 4 1/2 years. Four years is not good for people who change majors and it’s acceptable to change majors,” Fortner said. “Are we penalizing folks who graduate in 4 1/2 years? The five years is still an acceptable measure, right?”

Terry Babbitt, associate Vice President for enrollment management, didn’t directly answer that. But I’m pretty sure the administration would disagree. They’d say that UNM should in fact strive for a higher four-year rate. They’d say that because they’ve been saying that literally all year.

Anyway.

Other regents, including new regents Suzanne Quillen and Heidi Overton, have expressed concern with the new tuition plan. Gallegos has said increasing tuition so much would be a hardship on students, and he also is not convinced that the new model would help with student success.

My guess is as good as any in terms of what regents will do. It’s clear they support an increase in pay for faculty and staff (the administration has proposed a 3 percent for faculty and 1 percent for staff, with a one-time supplemental pay of $1,000 for staff). And it’s clear that to fund those compensation increases, there would need to be a tuition increase.

How much that will be is anyone’s guess.