SSCC votes to implement 7-percent tuition increase

In a split vote, the Southern State Community College Board of Trustees voted to implement a 7-percent increase in tuition - its first increase in four years. Some board members said the move is to be fiscally responsible for the future of the institution, while others said it will be a hardship to students.

The increase will go into effect for Summer Quarter 2010. In February, the board voted for a 3.5-percent increase to tuition, but tabled its implementation for the spring quarter. During their regular session May 12, the board voted 7-0 to implement the increase, and voted 5-2 to increase it by an additional 3.5-percent.

Board members Rory Ryan and Ben Houser both voted against the increase. Ryan and Houser also voted against accepting the fiscal year 2011 budget. Board members Kay Ayres, Paul Hall, Patty Griffiths, Ralph Shell and Jim Ward each voted for the increase and to accept the budget.

Jim Buck, SSCC Vice President of Business and Finance said that all but two of Ohio's two-year colleges have said they plan a tuition increase. Even with SSCC's 7-percent increase, Buck said the college still has the lowest tuition in the state, except for colleges that operate with a levy. The second lowest college, Edison State, has a tuition rate that is 5 percent higher than SSCC's, according to Buck. 

The "modest increase," Buck said, will result in $123 a year in additional costs for each student. Three quarters - one academic year - at SSCC is $3,633.

SSCC last increased tuition in 2006 by 2.99 percent. SSCC took part of a statewide tuition freeze, and then continued to not increase tuition. 

Houser asked if the college had done any research on the average household incomes for students in the area, compared to other community colleges because, "It makes no difference what the tuition is, if they don't got money, it can be the lowest in the world and it still might be too expensive."

Other board members said that information was available, and that the board had discussed that topic extensively years ago when SSCC had the second highest tuition in the state.

"While I can justify the implementation of the 3.5-percent increase in tuition that the board previously approved, but did not enact, I cannot support the additional 3.5-percent increase. In this depressed southern Ohio economy, I cannot believe that a 7-percent increase in tuition is in the best overall interest of the Southern State students. It would seem to harm those students who can least afford  it," Ryan told The Highland County Press, after voting against the increase.

"We need to have some cushion in the budget," said SSCC President Dr. Kevin Boys. "We need to be in a position to respond to workforce initiatives" if opportunities present themselves.

Boys and Buck said that there were costs associated with the 34-percent enrollment increase the college saw this academic year. Additional funds were necessary "to make sure it is a better institution than it is today," for future students, Boys said.

After voting for the increase, board member Paul Hall said that he normally would vote against the second 3.5-percent increase, but out of concern for the potential fiscal situation of the institution in 2012, he wanted to make sure the college would be in good standing.

"I think we would be solid without it," Hall said, but "for the protection of the college we need more funds. We've got to protect the surplus; 2012 is still unknown."

Hall said that the situation with state funding was going to be "ugly in 2012."

Each percent of the increase will bring in approximately $105,000, Buck said.

Board president Kay Ayres said, "Conservative soul that I am, I don't like increases in tuition, and I think we've done an awfully good job in holding it down. But there is a point we have to look to the future. I think more of the burden is going to fall on the institution itself. I don't think we can look for the state to provide us additional monies. It's just not going to be there."

Following the meeting, Buck said that it was difficult to say if a better decision for students would have been to increase tuition a little at a time rather than implement a larger one all at once but, "However it played out, it was for the success of the students and for the college." 

Prior to the votes on the tuition and budget, Houser asked several questions regarding the proposed budget, and the surplus account. 

The budget passed on May 12 shows SSCC with a revenue of $19,465,694 and total expenditures of $19,465,694.

"You can't end at zero," Houser said. "You can't operate a $19.5 million business and not have a nickel's worth of slack."

Buck said the that state law requires an institution to have at least 10 percent of its budget in reserve, and if a college fails to do so, the state replaces the board and the president.

"We do not spend our surplus," Buck said. 

Buck said that the budget balances, and that there is $1.8 million in reserve funds, and an additional $300,000 in reserve funds in the 2011 budget, which would take it to $2.1 million.