PENNSYLVANIA Governing board of universities will consider tuition increase

The governor sought spending cuts to keep the tuition increase smaller.
HARRISBURG (AP) -- The governing board of Pennsylvania's 14 state-owned universities were expected to consider a 4.6-percent tuition increase at a meeting today.
The board had been prepared to consider a 6.9-percent tuition increase at its July 8 meeting, but the decision was delayed for two weeks when Gov. Ed Rendell sent a letter to the board asking them to cut spending to keep tuition costs down.
The new proposal, which was recommended by Rendell after he met privately with system officials last week, would increase yearly tuition for Pennsylvania undergraduates by $212, to $4,810, instead of by $317 under the previous proposal.
National average
Nationally, tuition increases at public four-year colleges and universities are averaging around 10 percent for the 2004-05 school year, according to the American Association of State Colleges and Universities.
The latest tuition proposal was confirmed by Rendell's spokeswoman, Kate Philips, and Christine Toretti Olson, chairwoman of the board's finance committee, on Wednesday.
In addition to imposing a lower tuition increase, the proposal would freeze the salaries of Chancellor Judy Hample, the system's vice chancellors and the university presidents for a second year in a row, Olson said.
Hample earns more than $290,000 annually, while the salaries of university presidents range from $145,000 to $200,000.
"Basically, (the governor) calls the shots and he determines what the allocation is in the state budget for us," Olson said. "Even though we're an independent board, we have to respect his wishes."
The governor promised that the system would see a "significant increase" in future state aid if the board honored his recommendation, Olson said.
"Governors have said that many, many times in the past, and I'm a little skeptical. I hope he really does do that," she said.
Frustration over letter
Olson also expressed frustration over Rendell's letter, saying that no one from the administration had previously met with system officials to discuss any concerns about university spending.
"The administration's letter implied that we were fat and inefficient," she said. "We've tried very diligently to manage our costs."
Philips did not immediately return a telephone call seeking a response to Olson's comments.
In addition to the revised tuition proposal, the board will not be considering a $50 increase that had been proposed to a $100 per-student annual technology fee that was introduced two years ago, Philips said.
The 14 state-owned universities are Bloomsburg, California, Cheyney, Clarion, East Stroudsburg, Edinboro, Indiana, Kutztown, Lock Haven, Mansfield, Millersville, Shippensburg, Slippery Rock and West Chester.
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