Contact
Subscribe
NMSU regents raise tuition and other fees
The New Mexico State University Board of Regents voted today raise tuition 8 percent for in-state undergrads and 10.1 percent for non-resident undergrads.
That amounts to $201 more per semester for full-time, resident undergraduate students and $765 more per semester for non-resident undergrads. The regents also raised tuition on graduate students – 8.3 percent, or $222 per semester, for resident students and 10 percent, or $777 per semester, for non-resident students.
The increases were necessary, according to a news release from the university, to help offset a reduction in state funding. State funding for NMSU’s main campus in Las Cruces was cut by 9.8 percent, or $12.3 million, this year. According to the release, that was the largest state funding reduction for any four-year institution in New Mexico.
“This has been a challenging financial situation requiring bold action to fulfill our fundamental promise of excellence to our students,” NMSU President Barbara Couture said in the release.
She added that cuts will still be necessary and will be “achieved through central and departmental budget cuts and allocations.”
NMSU community college will see tuition increases as well – 9.5 percent at NMSU Alamogordo, 7.5 percent at Doña Ana Community College and 6.9 percent at NMSU Grants. There’s no increase at NMSU Carlsbad for “in-district residents,” the release states.
The regents also voted to increase housing rates and meal plans 3 percent. And they raised parking fees by 17 cents per month for students and 29 cents per month for most employees.
|
Share
Tweet
|
Advertisements
|
5 comments so far. Scroll down to submit your own comment.
Leave a response
You must be logged in to post a comment.
re: stever
In 2006, the mean salary for professors at NMSU was $72,000 (23k less than the national average); $62,000 for associate professors (9k less), and $53k for assistant professors (9k less). A quick search on the Internet shows that those numbers haven’t moved signicantly since 2006. A calculator shows that the rate at which the professors receive raises is barely keeps up with inflation.
I’m an employee at NMSU – and also a student. I’d love it if my professors were paid the six figures you mentioned. I’m sure they’d love it too. I would also note that employees and departments will likely absorb a portion of the five or six million dollar shortfall that remains after tuition covers the other half of that $12.3 million.
I don’t disagree that the tuition thing sucks, but I think an assessment of the data will show that NMSU professors are underpaid, that NMSU employees are underpaid, and that the university is seeking ways to make up the shortfall through a multitude of methods, only one of which is tuition – a solution that still makes millions of dollars in cuts necessary.
Ben
Ben, I understand but its a reflex to raise tuition first. Over a period of years the salaries of college adminstrators and professors across the country has grown steadily, at this point it’s easy to imagine the price of a traditional college education creating an even bigger market for newer and less expensive methods. Why spend the money going to NMSU to take classes with on line homework assignments and tests when you can do that from home?
All I’m saying is they have a lousy business model and in competition with all the other state agencies that have lousy business models, you’re going to have to tax a lot of things to keep professors in six figures.
re: stever
The raise in tuition and fees only covers part of the deficit the university faces. The rest will have to be paid for with cuts in university spending.
The Regents are just doing what they have to to stay whole. The real problem is the tent circus in Santa Fe who have no sense of priorities when it comes to raising taxes for necessary societal efforts to improve the state. Education is one of the few things the vast majority of people actually would encourage more taxes to fund. It is the only budget item that will actually increase the standard of living, and economic standing in the state as a basic driver. The so-called legislators have terribly misplaced priorities and show their ignorance when they cut it instead of increasing funding for it, which is what should have been done.
Instead of charging my daughter (meaning me) an extra $200 bucks, why don’t they start by cutting salaries and fringe benefits for the administrative higher ups and professors. There’s probably not a week in a year when someone’s not jetting off to a conference or symposium, or that some recruiter is at some campus in another state luring a professor to come to NMSU. I understand that it’s neccessary and easier to charge more for tuition but it doesn’t have to be the first option either.
By the way, I wonder how much money was spent on the lobbying effforts in Santa Fe that netted a 9.85 budget cut from the state?