LINCOLN – The Nebraska State College System (NSCS) Board of Trustees increased the 2005-06 tuition for Chadron, Peru and Wayne State Colleges by only 2.9 percent on Thursday, June 9. This means tuition will remain under $100 a credit hour.
This is the lowest tuition increase for the NSCS in more than 25 years. The last time the rate went up less than 4.7 percent was in 1998-99.
“The Legislature and the Governor understood how important it is that we keep our tuition affordable to ensure continued access to high quality education. I thank them for our appropriation which made this small tuition increase possible,” NSCS Chancellor Stan Carpenter said. “Our students really helped us in the last three years when our rate increases were substantial. They understood that the increases were necessary so we did not have to compromise our educational and student services. Consequently, we really wanted to keep this fall’s increase low.”
Carpenter said the $2.75 increase per credit hour, to $97.75 for resident undergraduate students, allows Chadron, Peru and Wayne State Colleges to continue to provide high quality education. For a student taking a full load of 15 hours, this increase translates to only $41.25 more per semester than 2004-05.
The board considered the essential needs of the Nebraska State College System, as well as state funding when determining the tuition rate. Essential needs include: salaries, health insurance, other insurance increases, and utility costs.
Tuition for graduate students will be $123.75 a credit hour. Non-resident undergraduates will pay $195.50 per credit hour, while non-resident graduate students will pay $247.50.
“Many of the students we educate are first-generation college students from small communities, and this is why our mission of access is so important. This very modest increase will continue to assure that we fulfill our mission,” Carpenter said. “We are always concerned about the level of debt our students carry upon graduation. With less debt, they are more likely to stay in Nebraska to live and work. In fact, across our system seven out of 10 students do stay in the state to work and lead in their communities.”
The Nebraska State College System Board members include: Chair Steve Lewis, Lexington; Chair of the Academic, Personnel & Student Affairs Committee Willa Kosman, Scottsbluff; Chair of the Fiscal & Facilities Committee Larry Teahon, Chadron; Chair of the Enrollment & Marketing Committee Bill Roskens, Omaha, Richard Halbert, Falls City; Dr. Doug Christensen, Lincoln; Chadron State student representative Carla Giger, Alliance; Peru State student representative Heath Christiansen, Verdon; and Wayne State student representative Lucas Virgil, Weston.
The Board of Trustees next meet September 15-16 in Chadron.