The University of Rhode Island will increase tuition for the 2017-2018 academic year with an additional $908 for in-state students and $1,168 for out-of-state students.
“How we do tuition increases at the University of Rhode Island is we calculate how much the tuition increase needs to be, not in terms of percentage but in terms of dollars,” said URI President David M. Dooley. “Because that’s what students and their families end up paying, dollars not percentages.”
Before a tuition raise is even considered, the university must start with a robust budget process that anticipates cost and state funding. The university then works with the Higher Education Council to get guidance. Then the governor’s office takes the budget collaboration under advising and provides an estimate of state funding. The state only provides about 8 to 10 percent of funding. At this point is where a tuition increase is finalized.
In most years, the state provides enough funding to prevent a tuition increase, according to Dooley. In the last five years the average amount tuition has increased was by 0.5 percent. However, this year the university felt that the tuition increase was necessary to provide the same quality education and services.
“We always worry about maintaining the affordability of URI and making URI accessible to students,” Dooley said. URI currently ranks as the most affordable New England land-grant university for out-of-state students and the second most affordable for in-state students.
Despite the raise decided for next year, Student Senate President Cody Anderson does not believe that students have to worry. He said he does not see another large tuition increase coming in the near future.
“After I saw the numbers I felt more comfortable,” Anderson said. “College affordability has been something I’ve always really cared about. And I’m pretty proud of the institution on that regard.”
Despite the affordability in the region, students are still concerned over the tuition increase.
“They have every right to be concerned because college still needs to be affordable,” Anderson said. “And that’s something URI really prides itself on, maintaining that affordability.” He added that URI is conducting various methods to get costs down, such as a Student Affairs audit and lean management systems.
Dooley emphasized that he wanted every concerned student to know three things. The first being that the university is one of the most efficient public research institutions from Washington to Maine. He promised that all tuition money is spent efficiently and effectively.
The second thing Dooley said was that whenever tuition goes up, financial aid will also go up. For the next academic year financial aid will be increased by $4 million.
“We make sure that students can afford next year’s tuition in the same way they can afford this year’s tuition,” said Dooley, “We want those students who need the most help to attend URI and give them and their families the help they need to go here.”
The third point Dooley underlined is that the university provides a high value quality education, and tuition spent at URI is an investment into students’ futures. He said the university will constantly look through the lens of preparing the students for successful careers, and wanted to assure students that the money spent on their education is well worth it.
The university is currently in talks for alternative methods, including a tuition freeze, according to Dooley. However, he said he does not see it as a feasible option as it places an unfair burden on the incoming classes. Dooley added that since URI gets its money from the state, the funding can vary year to year, but he is committed to keeping URI as affordable as possible.
Anderson said he is also looking into alternative methods, and he hopes to come up with a plan to make tuition increases seem less frightening when they do happen.
“Instead of increasing by around a thousand dollars every four years, increase by $250,” Anderson said, as a suggestion for the university. “That way it provides less shock value and you can better budget for it.”