2008 Woodie Awards
Tuition increase set for 2008-2009 academic year
Jessica Bernhardt
Issue date: 2/27/08 Section: Collegian Front Page
Tuition is increasing. Again. For the current academic year tuition
is $17,720. For 2008-2009, it will increase to $18,600. So the question on most students' mind is "Why?"
Sheila Krug, vice president for finance, said the increase is merely a reflection of what is going on around us. "If you look at the economy right now, especially
with gas prices going up, everything seems to increase."
The cost of operating the college
increases over time. That expense is then passed on to students
and families who pay tuition.
Dick Merriman, president, said, "We've seen some pretty dramatic increases in our utility
bills. In general everything costs a little more and I guess there might be a college somewhere
in the world that might be so stinkin' rich and have a big endowment and think 'what the heck let's absorb those costs,' but that's not Southwestern College."
The total amount it costs to run the main campus is about $15 million a year. That amount divided by the number of main campus students, which is about 600, equals out to $25,000.
As it stands, students are now paying less than $18,000 each year. That makes for a $7,000 difference per student. About $4 million is coming from elsewhere.
That 'elsewhere' includes donations,
gifts, earnings from the college's endowments, and revenue
from professional studies.
Wages and benefits are the main expenses for the college. Merriman said that a large percentage
of the budget goes to pay the professors.
For the current academic year, about $3.4 million has been spent on wages and benefits for the faculty and support staff on the main campus. Wages for the administration on the main campus is added on top of that amount.
Merriman said running a college
is a very human intensive enterprise.
"Compared to any other expense
on campus far and away the largest one is paying the humans who work here. You're mostly hiring and paying intellectual
is $17,720. For 2008-2009, it will increase to $18,600. So the question on most students' mind is "Why?"
Sheila Krug, vice president for finance, said the increase is merely a reflection of what is going on around us. "If you look at the economy right now, especially
with gas prices going up, everything seems to increase."
The cost of operating the college
increases over time. That expense is then passed on to students
and families who pay tuition.
Dick Merriman, president, said, "We've seen some pretty dramatic increases in our utility
bills. In general everything costs a little more and I guess there might be a college somewhere
in the world that might be so stinkin' rich and have a big endowment and think 'what the heck let's absorb those costs,' but that's not Southwestern College."
The total amount it costs to run the main campus is about $15 million a year. That amount divided by the number of main campus students, which is about 600, equals out to $25,000.
As it stands, students are now paying less than $18,000 each year. That makes for a $7,000 difference per student. About $4 million is coming from elsewhere.
That 'elsewhere' includes donations,
gifts, earnings from the college's endowments, and revenue
from professional studies.
Wages and benefits are the main expenses for the college. Merriman said that a large percentage
of the budget goes to pay the professors.
For the current academic year, about $3.4 million has been spent on wages and benefits for the faculty and support staff on the main campus. Wages for the administration on the main campus is added on top of that amount.
Merriman said running a college
is a very human intensive enterprise.
"Compared to any other expense
on campus far and away the largest one is paying the humans who work here. You're mostly hiring and paying intellectual
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