By Howard Fischer
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/knau/local-knau-820665.mp3
Phoenix, AZ – It looks like students at Northern Arizona University are going
to have to pay even more than they thought this coming school
year.
The Board of Regents already approved hiking tuition for new
students at NAU this coming fall by about 14 percent. Returning
students face smaller increases. But those rates were set in
December -- before lawmakers cut $141 million from all three
universities. There is little chance those cuts are going to be
restored next year with the possibile loss of even more state
dollars. On Thursday NAU President John Haeger detailed for
lawmakers what already is on tap.
(Class sizes will increase clearly. We have already told faculty
and staff and administration at the institution there will be
furloughs and they will be up to 7 days for FY 10. That's
probably, if you looked at it as a salary cut, is 2.6, 2.7
percent.)
And there still will have to be layoffs. But Haeger said even
with all that, it won't be enough.
(We will go back to the Arizona Board of Regents -- I can't say
whether or not they'll approve it -- but we will ask for
significant tuition and fee increases in FY 10.)
Haeger did not provide a specific figure, saying that ultimately
will depend on how much state aid NAU gets.