U of I trustees OK 6.9% tuition increase

SPRINGFIELD — University of Illinois trustees approved a 6.9 percent tuition increase Wednesday for incoming freshman this fall, pushing the single-year cost of attending the flagship campus in Urbana past $11,000 a year.

Administrators blamed dwindling state aid and overdue bills from Springfield for an increase that university president Michael Hogan said would be in line with inflation when spread over a four-year college education.

Walter Knorr, university vice president and chief financial officer, said the state owes the university $447 million for this academic school year, but income from the tuition increase won't come close to that.

"Freshman coming in will produce $22 million in additional tuition," Knorr said. "The state owes us half-a-billion. The state owes us 25 times that right now."

Student costs at the Urbana-Champaign campus will go up $718, to $11,104 a year. Those attending the Chicago campus will pay $9,764 next year and at Springfield, $8,108.

State law locks in the rate a first-year student pays for four years.

The numbers don't include room and board, which trustees already increased for next year: $9,452 in Urbana, $9,862 in Chicago and $9,820 in Springfield.

The board approved the increase on a voice vote with opposition from student members.

"We have to keep in mind that every time we raise tuition, we're pricing certain students out of being able to attend the university," said trustee Timothy Koritz, who suggested that at some point, the school might have to stop raising tuition and start cutting programs.

Knorr said employees have not had a salary increase since Aug. 2008 and Hogan called unpaid furlough days imposed in 2010 "very demoralizing" and not worth the cost savings.

Hogan said the university is putting more money aside for student assistance and the schools' fundraising arm will soon embark on a campaign to raise outside money for tuition aid.

Board chairman Christopher Kennedy agreed that no one wants the "elite institution to just be for elite families," but not investing in competitive salaries has meant "enthusiasm for the school has waned."

"It doesn't make a compelling case to, 'Hey, come work here,'" Kennedy said.

Detractors of the plan joined supporters in pointing a finger at the state Capitol about five miles north of the Springfield campus where trustees met Wednesday.

Knorr presented figures showing that in 1970, the state provided $12.80 for every dollar collected in tuition. Today, the state pays 80 cents for every tuition dollar.

State support for students has declined 37 percent in just 10 years, from $14,332 in 2001 to $9,067 this year, according to Knorr's figures.