College of DuPage increases tuition to help cover budget shortfall

College of DuPage officials have increased tuition to help chip away at a projected budget shortfall brought on by continued enrollment declines, rising costs and other factors.

For the current academic year, trustees at the Glen Ellyn-based community college adopted a tuition freeze intended to ease the financial burden on students recovering from the pandemic's economic toll.

But starting with the upcoming fall semester, the tuition sticker price will go up by $2 per credit hour. That brings the total rate, including fees, to $140 per credit hour. Tuition and fees will cost $327 per credit hour for Illinois students coming from outside the community college district.

"I think this is the right move going forward," said Trustee Daniel Markwell, the board's budget committee chairman. "And I think over the next several years the board has to continue to consider additional increases to tuition until we get into a better financial position."

The tuition bump will generate an estimated $800,000 in additional revenue. College leaders also have recommended tuition increases in future years.

"Increasing rates by progressively greater amounts for the next five years allows us to address our current structural budgetary imbalance," Controller David Virgilio recently told trustees.

Enrollment is expected to drop 3% in the 2022-23 academic year. The college forecasts two more years of relatively modest declines before enrollment is projected to flatten and then start to increase in 2026-27.

The tuition increase comes as college officials are finalizing an annual operating budget for the new fiscal year starting July 1.

But because fall registration starts next month, trustees had to set tuition rates for the next academic year.

COD Board Chairwoman Maureen Dunne said the college long-term should discuss the possibility of additional revenue sources and "look more carefully" at how to increase enrollment "so that it doesn't come to just increasing tuition costs."

"Looking ahead, we must ensure that we have the funds to support the success of our students, cover ongoing operating costs, and provide resources for ongoing technology initiatives," COD President Brian Caputo said in a statement. "This moderate increase ensures we have the power to provide the resources students expect from College of DuPage while keeping us among the most affordable in the state."

How does COD's tuition compare with other public two-year colleges? Its in-district rate of $138 per credit hour for the current academic year came in about $13 below the state average - $151 per credit hour - for all 39 schools in the Illinois community college system, COD officials say.

"With the help of the Office of Financial Aid, I was able to confirm that this nominal increase will have little or no impact on our students with the greatest financial need," Trustee Florence Appel said at a board meeting last week. "We should note that the Pell grant, which has recently been increased for all students and will soon be available to short-term students enrolled in career certificate programs, will more than cover the increase."

Tuition and fees account for about 35% of the college's general fund revenues, while real estate taxes make up 54%.

An influx of federal pandemic relief funding buoyed the school and other higher education institutions in 2022.

"We're not going to see that in fiscal year 2023, so that's our main issue with the budget this year," said Scott Brady, COD's chief finance officer and treasurer.

The board's budget committee earlier this year reviewed projections showing COD facing a multimillion-dollar shortfall in fiscal 2023. Financial planners also have proposed belt-tightening measures and drawing down reserves to help cover the budget gap between expenses and revenues.

The board will hold a public hearing before voting on the final budget plan in June.