Harper College trustees increase tuition 2.8 percent

Starting this summer, Harper College full-time students will pay an extra $105 a year, or 2.8 percent, to attend the Palatine-based community college.

The college's board of trustees in a 6-1 vote this week approved raising tuition $3.50 per credit hour from $110.25 to $113.75. The lone “no” vote, Trustee William Kelley, did not immediately return a request for comment Thursday. Harper's student government association unanimously endorsed the hike.

Fees will go unchanged at $16 a credit hour. So for a year's worth of classes, full-time students enrolled in 30 credit hours will pay a total of $3,892.50.

Under a board policy adopted in 2012, trustees can bump tuition by 2 percentage points above the annual Consumer Price Index for urban consumers up to a 5 percent cap. In 2014, the CPI-U grew 0.8 percent — the second smallest 12-month increase in 50 years, according to the U.S. Labor Department.

The latest hike at Harper is expected to generate an additional $1 million based on current enrollment.

The extra revenue helps offset declining state dollars. Illinois has long failed to meet the original funding formula for community colleges, in which state grants were supposed to make up a third of the per capita costs of running the school, with tuition and property taxes financing the rest.

Now, property taxes cover about 60 percent of the per capita cost. The state's share has plunged to 4.5 percent — a new low since Harper opened its doors in 1967. Officials fear more cuts to state funding as state lawmakers grapple with a $6.2 billion budget hole.

“It's clear that state support will continue to decline given Illinois' financial problems,” Harper President Ken Ender said. “Through small tuition increases and our commitment to running the college as efficiently as possible, we've been able to weather the storm without compromising the academic quality and rigor that Harper is known for.”

How does Harper's tuition rank with other suburban colleges? It remains cheaper than College of DuPage's $140 and about the same as College of Lake County's $129 (both including fees) per credit hour.

Before fees, Oakton Community College students will pay $111.25. And at their March or April meeting, Elgin Community College trustees will set the 2015-16 tuition rate.