All state colleges raising tuition -- but it could have been worse

Despite concerns that tuition at public colleges and universities in Colorado would go up by as much as 40 percent for students this fall because of decreased state funding, higher education institutions have kept tuition increases modest for the 2009-10 academic year.

A one-time infusion of federal stimulus money helped avert drastic cuts of $300 million in state appropriations for colleges and universities, allowa cap of just 9 percent for a state tuition hikes at 9 percent.

Legislators, though, are thought to be facing a $249 million shortfall for the budget that ended June 30, and may have to revise appropriations for the fiscal year that began Wednesday.

Colorado Lawmakers also are predicting brutal budget cuts for the next fiscal year because of decreased sales tax collections. The state is experiencing its worst economic downturn in more than half a century, and the cumulative budget shortfall during the next three years is estimated to be $838 million - with higher education poised to take hits.

Public colleges and universities receive state appropriations each year to be used as part of their annual operating budget, but tuition constitutes the majority of revenue for schools.

Out of every $4 in revenue at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs, for example, $3 comes from tuition and $1 from the state, according to Chancellor Pam Shockley-Zalabak.

For the entire University of Colorado system, which includes campuses in Colorado Springs, Denver and Boulder, 9 percent of its annual $2.4 billion budget for the last fiscal year was from state funding.

The state's General Assembly sets tuition-hike caps for its public colleges and universities, which is 9 percent for the coming school year. Many facilities do not increase tuition by that much, however, so they can entice students and grow enrollment.

Full-time undergraduate students also may qualify for a state stipend applied to tuition costs. The stipend is $68 per credit hour per semester for the academic year that starts in the fall for eligible students, a reduction from $92 last year.

Here's a round-up of tuition rates for 2009-10 for full-time, in-state undergraduate students at four-year public colleges and universities in Colorado. Costs exclude the stipend, unless noted:

Adams State College, Alamosa
8.6 percent increase, or $9 more than last year, to $113 per credit hour; fall semester tuition for 12 credit hours: $1,356

Colorado School of Mines, Golden
7.8 percent increase, or $26 more than last year, to $353 per credit hour for full-time status of 15 credit hours; fall semester tuition: $6,315

Colorado State University, Fort Collins
7.6 percent increase for tuition and fees, or $199 per semester more than last year; fall semester tuition for 12 hours: $3,129

Colorado State University, Pueblo
4 percent increase, or $5.70 more than last year, to $148.30 per credit hour for up to 12 hours with state stipend; fall semester tuition: $1,779.50 with stipend

Fort Lewis College, Durango
9 percent increase, or $128 per semester more than last year with state stipend; fall semester tuition for 10 to 18 credit hours: $1,551
 
Mesa State College, Grand Junction
8.5 percent increase over last year to $195.31 per credit hour for 12 credit hours; fall semester tuition $2,344

Metropolitan State College of Denver
9 percent increase, or $9.80 more than last year, to $95 per credit hour; fall semester tuition: $1,425 for 15 credit hours

University of Northern Colorado, Greeley
9 percent increase, or $14.75 more than last year, to $179 per credit hour with state stipend; fall semester tuition: $2,148

University of Colorado, Boulder
3.9 percent increase, or $22 more per credit hour than last year, or $262 more per semester; fall semester total varies by program
University of Colorado, Denver
1.2-1.7 percent increase, or $9.50 per credit hour more than last year or $114 more per semester; fall semester total varies by program

University of Colorado, Colorado Springs
5 percent increase, or $9 more per credit hour more than last year, to $195 per credit hour; fall semester tuition: $2,340

Western State College, Gunnison
9 percent increase, or $10.84 more than last year, to $130.84 per credit hour; fall semester tuition for 12-18 credit hours: $1,570