by Katy Knapp
Daily Lobo
The regents who attended Friday's Budget Summit all agreed tuition will have to go up next year.
But no one knew by how much.
About a hundred people attended the event in the SUB. Discussion topics included funding at the Health Sciences Center and employee health insurance coverage. However, the hot topic was how much tuition should be raised to make up for a $3.5 million funding gap in next year's budget.
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Jamie Koch, president of the Board of Regents, proposed a tuition hike of 4 percent. Under his proposal, called "Scenario K," about $3 million will be taken from private donations to UNM. Koch proposes a portion of fundraising costs be taken out of each donation.
Regent Don Chalmers said he respectively disagreed with Koch's proposal.
"If we're thinking the same way, then we're all just not thinking," he said.
Chalmers said telling donors that not all of their donations would go to UNM programs or scholarships could have unintended consequences.
"Many donors - and probably the larger donors are the ones that think this way the most - they expect 100 percent of their gift to go where the rubber hits the road," he said, referring to checks going to for specific programs and scholarships.
He said larger donors could see this proposal as a gift tax, and the University would get less money in donations in the long run.
Koch said his proposal is merely a suggestion that should be considered when deciding the tuition increase.
"I think it's important to talk about things, to throw different scenarios out there," he said.
Tuition is set to go up by at least 5.3 percent to help cover rising costs of utility prices and health insurance premiums. UNM did not receive formula funding from the Legislature this year to cover those costs.
Formula funding goes toward basic instruction and general costs, including utilities. The amount received is based on enrollment rates at the University. Enrollment must go up 3 percent to qualify for the funding, and UNM did not hit that mark in 2005.
Brittany Jaeger, president of the Associated Students of UNM, pointed out that formula funding hasn't always saved students from a tuition hike.
In fiscal year 2004-05, UNM received more than $5 million from the Legislature in formula funding, yet tuition was raised 12.4 percent. Last year, UNM received $9 million in formula funding, and tuition and fees were increased 9.9 percent.
"Students understand the need for additional funds for utilities, risk management and health insurance premiums," she said. "Yet we strongly encourage the University to try and identify additional revenue sources that may be used to offset the increase in these costs."
Regent Sandra Begay-Campbell said it is unrealistic to ask for a zero percent tuition increase.
Begay-Campbell said the president's office will have to look at way to reallocate money if tuition goes up by 5.3 percent.
"Some things are going to be cut," she said. "So just be aware that that's going to have to happen. That's a reality."
Six UNM groups - ASUNM, Faculty Senate, Staff Council, Deans' Council and the Alumni Association - presented different proposals at the summit. The highest proposal came from the Deans' Council, which advocated an 8.3 percent tuition and fees increase to pay for shortfall in funding for University Libraries as well as pay for more intersession and summer classes.
At the end of the summit, members of the audience were asked for comment. No students spoke up.
Several ASUNM senators showed their support by sitting in the front row and making their presence known, although they did not go up to the microphone.
Marina Weisert, an ASUNM senator, said she came to support the student body in asking for a minimum tuition increase.
"We realize that people have needs, and we need funding for open-door costs," she said. "But we also recognize, since we felt the impact, since paying for the bond project, we understand that we have already paid that increase in fees."
ASUNM Sen. Erin Muffoletto said it would have been nice to see more of the student body at the public summit.
Fellow Sen. Matthew Barnes said it is the ASUNM senators' duty to represent the students at forums like the summit.
"This is what we're elected to do," he said.
The president's office will be coming up with a tuition and fees increase proposal over the next couple weeks to present to the regents at their meeting April 12.
