In-state students soon may face a tuition increase if state government officials act to lift the current five-year cap on tuition.
Because of Virginia's bleak economic outlook, Gov. Mark R. Warner announced Tuesday that the Commonwealth probably will have to raise in-state tuition at public colleges and universities by 5 percent or more.
Although such action would break an earlier agreement to cap tuition for in-state students, no such limit exists for out-of-state tuition.
"We hope any proposal will be flexible enough to allow the [Board of Visitors] to set the tuition," said Colette Sheehy, vice president for management and budget. "Tuition hasn't risen in eight years, so I don't think an increase of a reasonable amount would adversely affect students."
"It's clear that if we don't raise tuition, the cuts will have to be much deeper, and that would have a greater negative impact on students," Sheehy added.
Deputy Secretary of Education Peter A. Blake said such an increase is necessary in light of the $3.8 billion state budget shortfall Warner announced Tuesday.
"We're in an era where there are going to be budget cuts across the state, and everyone has got to share in the pain," Blake said. "We would argue that we have not disproportionately targeted higher education."
Blake pointed to the early 1990s, when some state colleges and universities raised their tuition rates 10 to 20 percent, and stressed that Warner did not want to "see a repeat of that."
Whether the proposed 5 percent or higher increase will become a reality for Virginia students depends on what action the General Assembly decides to take before its term ends March 9.
The House of Delegates and Senate will present their own individual versions of a budget bill Monday, and both houses plan to vote Thursday on the legislation.
After facing the General Assembly, the proposal could change drastically over the course of the next week.
"Warner is not hard and fast on that 5 percent, and would be open to an increase," Blake said.
Despite additional funds that could accompany a tuition increase, the budget shortfall still could kill other higher education funding initiatives, including Warner's plan to devote $55 million for school construction.
Other possible cuts include a layoff of approximately 700 state government workers in the next fiscal year and a reduction of 2,100 positions in various state agencies. Warner also recently ordered that road and transit spending would be reduced by 20 percent across the state.
Warner said his proposal stems primarily from slow Christmas sales in December and lower tax collections in January, down 9.1 percent from last year.
"The state is broke," Secretary of Education Belle Wheelan said. "Governor Warner is doing what he can for education, but what he can't do seems like so much, because there's just so much more to be done"
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