Published: April 17, 2008 10:14 pm      

Community college tuition to rise

VERSAILLES — Ashland Community and Technical College students face a 13 percent hike in tuition this fall.

The Kentucky Community and Technical College System Board of Regents on Thursday voted to recommend to the Council on Postsecondary Education an in-state tuition increase for the upcoming academic year from $115 to $130 per credit hour.

The regents already had recommended to the CPE a $4 increase per credit hour for the summer term. However, the council has not yet acted on the proposal.

The hike results from the reduction in state appropriation of $13.5 million, according to regents chairman Richard A. Bean.

“We are forced to consider both cost reduction and revenue-generating measures in order to continue to provide our students ... with the programs and services they need,” he said.

With the dramatic increase in enrollment at ACTC and the rest of the KCTCS system in recent years, additional money is needed to accommodate the additional students, said ACTC President Greg Adkins in an e-mail Thursday.

“With the budget cuts amounting to 6 percent this year, KCTCS was forced to place more financial responsibility onto the students,” he said in the e-mail.

The regents also recommended an out-of-state tuition rate of $156 per credit hour for students from contiguous counties and a $390 rate for all other out-of-state students.

Recent increases to the federal Pell Grant program and local scholarships at each KCTCS college should help offset the impact of the increase, officials hope.

Regents also approved one-time merit bonuses for full-time faculty and staff ranging from $1,500 to $2,500. The bonuses are contingent on meeting certain requirements during the 2008-09 school year.

There will be no recurring annual salary increases for full-time regular KCTCS faculty and staff in the upcoming school year.

They also approved fixed cost increases in current employee benefit programs and faculty promotions.

MIKE JAMES can be reached at mjames@dailyindependent.com or at (606) 326-2652.