2008 Woodie Awards
Officials expect no increase in state funding
Robby Trail
Issue date: 12/1/05 Section: News
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UTC Chancellor Roger Brown said he does not expect the university to receive more funding than it did last year, but he hopes another tuition increase will not be necessary.
"We are trying to make the case [to the state legislature] that higher education is helping the state economy by training people and bringing more jobs into the state," he said.
Students paid $4,500 for tuition and fees this year, a 9.9 percent increase from last year.
Brown said he believes UT-system President John Petersen will try very hard not to increase tuition.
"[A tuition increase] is not a thing anybody wants this year," Brown said. "If everybody else increases [tuition], then we will feel like we have to in order to stay even."
Chattanooga senior Melissa Poole said the thought of another tuition increase makes her "ill" because she depends on financial aid.
"If tuition goes up, I have to take out more loans and will owe more money," she said.
Poole said university officials should look at making budget cuts, such as not imposing the athletic fee anymore.
"I don't think we should have to pay an athletic fee if we don't participate in sports," she said. "There are probably other things they could cut back on."
Two weeks ago, university system officials presented budget requests to the Tennessee Higher Education Commission.
Brown said his top request was a $500,000 increase for faculty and staff pay raises.
"We were hoping to have extra money to put into faculty and staff salaries to make them comparable to their peers around the state and region," he said.
Faculty senate president Richard Rice said he would like an increase in the budget for faculty raises, but he does not think the state will give the university more money for raises.
"My guess is that any raise for the faculty is pretty far down on the list of funding possibilities," he said.
Rice said the faculty has not received a raise equal to the cost-of-living increase since 1992.
"We are trying to make the case [to the state legislature] that higher education is helping the state economy by training people and bringing more jobs into the state," he said.
Students paid $4,500 for tuition and fees this year, a 9.9 percent increase from last year.
Brown said he believes UT-system President John Petersen will try very hard not to increase tuition.
"[A tuition increase] is not a thing anybody wants this year," Brown said. "If everybody else increases [tuition], then we will feel like we have to in order to stay even."
Chattanooga senior Melissa Poole said the thought of another tuition increase makes her "ill" because she depends on financial aid.
"If tuition goes up, I have to take out more loans and will owe more money," she said.
Poole said university officials should look at making budget cuts, such as not imposing the athletic fee anymore.
"I don't think we should have to pay an athletic fee if we don't participate in sports," she said. "There are probably other things they could cut back on."
Two weeks ago, university system officials presented budget requests to the Tennessee Higher Education Commission.
Brown said his top request was a $500,000 increase for faculty and staff pay raises.
"We were hoping to have extra money to put into faculty and staff salaries to make them comparable to their peers around the state and region," he said.
Faculty senate president Richard Rice said he would like an increase in the budget for faculty raises, but he does not think the state will give the university more money for raises.
"My guess is that any raise for the faculty is pretty far down on the list of funding possibilities," he said.
Rice said the faculty has not received a raise equal to the cost-of-living increase since 1992.
