By Farris Willingham, Editor-in-Chief, and Rachel Morse, Staff Writer
Officials will not increase tuition, fees and housing costs for the 2012-13 academic year as part of an attempt to balance the university budget and ease the financial strain on students.
The board of trustees and President Robert Henry approved a recommendation from the university’s budget committee in late January.
“They approved the committee’s recommendation, with the trustees not offering any objection to the plan,” said John Starkey, religion professor and budget committee chairman.
They will approve the university’s final budget in April.
The budget committee, which is a collective of administrators, faculty members and staff, collaborated on the resolution.
The committee resolved this because its members felt officials ought to balance the university’s budget, Starkey said.
“As we looked at the budget for the upcoming year, we looked at the fact that for seven or eight years, OCU has been trying to improve its quality of education, but doing so meant increasing tuition, fees, housing, or all three,” he said. “We thought it’s time to balance it out, so as not to incur new costs that would be passed onto the students.”
The committee also acknowledged students’ financial strains, Starkey said.
“The most important feature in our situation is that we’re in an international recession and stagnant economy, and the U.S. economy is a part of that,” he said. “We’re aware that a lot of students who would like to come here are facing the same economic issues that everyone else is facing, and we’re responding to that fact.”
Keeping rates the same is the best way to keep the university competitive in recruitment, Emma Velez, Student Government Association president.
“It’s hard because we’re still having to make cuts,” she said. “Under the circumstances, this was the best decision.”
Laura Harder, dance performance freshman, said she agrees that this could benefit recruitment.
“My parents will be happy about that,” she said. “We pay a lot already.”
Beatrize Martinez, criminal justice sophomore, said it is a good idea if the university wants to recruit new students and retain others.
“It defeats the purpose if they can’t afford it,” she said.
Some soon-to-be seniors fear they may not benefit from the fixed university rates as much as underclassmen.
Molly Davis, early childhood education junior, said she wishes officials had made the decision sooner.
“I am glad to see they are responding to the economy and people’s needs,” she said.
Ryan Bartnick, environmental studies junior, said he is pumped to hear the news.
“I am also wondering why now,” he said. “Why did they inflate prices up the past two years and decide not to do it this year?
“Hopefully this means I will have less loans.”
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