Univ officials explain tuition hikes

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) - Several Indiana universities and colleges have raised tuition rates for the next two academic years.

Indiana University raised its tuition 4.6% for the 2009 school year, and 4.8% for the following year. For an average in-state student in Bloomington, that's almost $400 more in bills; and around $300 more for a student at a satellite school like IUPUI.

Purdue raised its tuition 5% and added a $500 fee for new students. Ivy Tech also raised its tuition by 5%.

The Commission for Higher Education approved tuition hikes, but capped it at 5% for the next two years. Many parents NewsChannel 15 talked with said their biggest gripe was not getting enough of a warning.

"People are always saying, 'Yeah I have all this money set aside, I'm so prepared.' And then the time comes and then woah it's not (there)," said Fort Wayne resident Susie Holbrook. She will be sending her daughter to college in a few years.

"By then it's going to be probably $40,000 to $50,000 for four years in college... it's too much," said Samih Abouhalkah. And Kim Thompson, mother of two daughters added "If I had known years ago that it would be going up so much, I would've started saving a long time ago."

School officials say although it was a hard decision to make, it was necessary to balance the school's budget. "In order to cover such costs as repairs, hiring, the healthcare costs that are continuing to increase, it was just a matter of meeting the budget and trying to spread any increase in three to five years rather than catch it all in the third year," said Dr. William Cast, member of the IU Board of Trustees and nominated to serve as president of the board. In IU's case, Cast says, as the tuition goes up, so does scholarship and grant money.

But some lawmakers aren't convinced. "I don't buy it. And I'm disgusted by it," said (R) State Rep. Jeff Espich for District 82. "I think they've forgotten completely about what the average person in Indiana is facing today, which in many cases is tough times."

Espich and the state's budget committee are planning on meeting with university officials next week. In the meantime, parents like Holbrook are starting to rework their plans.

"I do hope that we have enough money set aside," said Holbrook. "When the time comes, if there are additional student loans that she'll (daughter) have to get, then that's what she'll just have to do."