RD155 - 2011-12 Tuition and Fees at Virginia’s State-Supported Colleges and Universities


Executive Summary:
The 2011 General Assembly provided an additional $97 million in general fund support to higher education for fiscal year 2012. This amendment to the original budget provided some much-needed relief, but could not prevent our colleges and universities from suffering a fifth straight year of state general fund operating budget reductions. The additional funding reduced the size of the original budget cut for 2012 from 12 percent to 7 percent, on average, when compared with the 2011 general fund appropriations for Educational and General (E&G) programs.

While Virginia is no longer in recession (the Governor just announced a $311 million revenue surplus for fiscal year 2011—the second straight year-end surplus), the economy is still a cause for concern. As we go to press, Congress and the White House have yet to reach a deal on extending the nation’s debt ceiling as the August 2 deadline approaches. If the U. S. defaults on its obligations, Virginia is considered to be one of the most vulnerable states because of our dependence on federal revenue and the large number of federal employees that live in Virginia.

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA), an economic stimulus package worth $787 billion created by Congress and signed by the President in 2009, has helped Virginia offset the state budget shortfalls and save programs and services that might otherwise have been eliminated. The General Assembly allocated $75 million in FY2010 and $201.7 million in FY2011 of Virginia’s share of the State Fiscal Stabilization Fund, part of ARRA, to public institutions to help offset the general fund reductions and to mitigate the need to increase in-state tuition at the colleges and universities over these two years. Unfortunately, ARRA funding must be spent before October 1, 2011, potentially leaving a big hole in Virginia institutions’ operating budgets. However, tuition and fee increases for in-state students were generally set by many of the institutional Boards of Visitors over a two-year period to lessen the need for dramatic tuition hikes in 2012 in order to mitigate the impact of the end of ARRA funding. As a result, tuition and mandatory E&G fees for in-state undergraduate students will increase by an average of 9.7% in FY2012. Including tuition and all mandatory fees, the increase will be 7.9% in FY2012. Both increases are lower than the increases in FY2011.

The Virginia Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2011 calls for more college graduates so that the Commonwealth will be in a better position to compete successfully in the marketplace of the future. As the stimulus funding from the federal government goes away in FY2012, the following question becomes more urgent: Will the Commonwealth have the resources and the will to become a full partner in this endeavor or will the de facto privatization of our public system of higher education continue?

This report focuses on tuition and fees for in-state undergraduates and provides a summary of: 1) board-approved tuition and fee increases for the 2011-12 academic year; 2) tuition and fee trends in Virginia over the past 25 years; 3) the cost-sharing relationship between the state and students; and 4) trends in tuition increases SCHEV 2011-12 Tuition and Fee Report 1 July 2011 nationally. The appendices provide comparisons of changes in tuition and fees for student groups, including in-state undergraduate, out-of-state undergraduate, in-state graduate, out-of-state graduate, in-state first professional, and out-of-state first professional.

In order to assess trends in tuition and fees, it is important to understand higher education pricing. A student planning to attend a public college or university in Virginia can expect to pay the charges defined below:

1. Tuition and Mandatory E&G Fees: Mandatory student charges used to support instruction and related education activities included in the Education and General (E&G) program. E&G subprograms include instruction, research and public service, academic support, student services, institutional support, and the operation and maintenance of physical plants.

2. Mandatory Non-E&G Fees: Mandatory student charges used to support non-instructional activities, such as student health services, athletics, recreational activities, campus transportation, and capital debt service.

3. Tuition and All Fees: Sum of tuition, mandatory E&G fees, and mandatory non-E&G fees.

4. Room and Board: Optional charges used to support the dormitory and dining functions for students choosing to live on campus. Students living off campus are exempt from these charges.

5. Total Cost: The total cost to students and parents, excluding student financial aid. This total includes the sum of tuition, all mandatory fees, and room and board.