The higher education commission voted today to cap tuition increases at 2.5 percent next year, an attempt to avoid a repeat of last year’s tuition war between the governor and the University of Colorado.
The commission’s $565 million budget request for higher education is $65 million more than last year. It includes $10 million for financial aid
It’s the first time the Colorado Commission on Higher Education is recommending a specific tuition limit to the legislature. The cap is a preemptive strike against any last-minute surprises like last summer’s request from CU to raise tuition 28 percent for some in-state students.
Gov. Bill Owens is insisting on a specific tuition limit in the commission’s budget request, said higher education commissioner Rick O’Donnell.
“There will be no mystery,” O’Donnell said.
The commission’s initial budget request shows higher education officials are “still being prudent with taxpayer money” even though voters lifted a state spending cap by passing Referendum C last week, he said.
“It keeps faith with the voters,” O’Donnell said. “It isn’t a spending free-for-all and it’s not a blank check to higher ed.”
If the budget referendum hadn’t passed last week, higher education could have taken a cut of $300 million or more, officials said.
The commission also wants $49.5 million for state colleges and universities out of this fiscal year’s budget – money now available because of the passage of Referendum C last week. Schools would receive the $49.5 million as “back pay” for student enrollment the state hasn’t funded in the last five years.
Enrollment at state colleges and universities has increased by about 20,000 since 2001, when the state stopped basing its funding on enrollment increases.
CU says it’s owed $18.5 million for the 4,900 additional students who have enrolled since 2001.
Staff writer Jennifer Brown can be reached at 303-820-1593 or jenbrown@denverpost.com.
