YSU eyes 3.5% hike in tuition

By Harold Gwin

The university is looking for ways to deal with a possible large loss of state funds.

YOUNGSTOWN — Youngstown State University students may be hit with another 3.5-percent tuition increase next fall as the university looks for ways to deal with a potential major loss of state revenue.

The Ohio Board of Regents warned this week that an unresolved $850 million budget shortfall will likely translate into reductions in state aid to higher education beginning Jan. 1, unless the Legislature can deal with that shortfall by Dec. 31.

For Youngstown, that would mean a $7.4 million loss of revenue this year and $7.3 million more next year.

Thomas Maraffa, senior assistant to YSU’s president, outlined for the university’s board of trustees Wednesday preliminary plans for preparation of the university’s 2010-11 budget.

Officials hope the state will be able to resolve the budget shortfall, he said, but the university must be prepared if it does not.

The Ohio Legislature cleared a budget overhaul late Thursday night, but its impact on higher education funding was not immediately known.

The trustees advised Maraffa to prepare for the worst case scenario.

“I think we prepare for the major storm,” said Scott Schulick, board chairman, suggesting that a 3.5 percent tuition increase would likely be a part of that scenario.

The state is allowing its public colleges and universities to raise tuition up to a maximum of 3.5 percent next fall.

YSU undergraduates saw a 3.5 percent ($235) increase this year in anticipation of dropping state revenues following two years of a tuition freeze.

Schulick said the board wants to see some options that it can consider to address the possible loss of more than $14 million in state support.

Maraffa said the university has $3 million available in a contingency reserve and $2 million more in a debt service reserve that can be tapped to help cover the $7.4 million revenue drop this year, if it occurs. He said that leaves about a $2.5 million funding gap, and covering that loss could include continuing to defer filling certain employee vacancies, reducing the number of part-time employees, cutting overtime, reducing general operating costs and deferring some program expansions.

Schulick asked at what point the university should go back to its employees for help.

Everyone should feel the pain with this level of cuts, he said.

Maraffa said potential personnel actions could be considered, including speaking to YSU’s unions.

Harry Meshel, chairman of the board’s finance and facilities committee, suggested that cost reductions also look at the cost of travel, postage and more.

“This is not going to be pretty, folks,” he said.

Trustee John Pogue said that the Student Government Association should be notified that the board isn’t likely to approve its request for implementation of a new student fee that would generate about $300,000 a year to provide SGA with additional money to give to student organizations and individual student academic projects.

In light of potential state aid cuts, the board can’t support the SGA plan at that level, Pogue said, particularly if it would count as part of the 3.5 percent tuition cap imposed by the state.

gwin@vindy.com