Governor Hickelooper has proposed his budget for the 2014-2015 fiscal year that includes a $141.8 million increase in funding for higher education.

$101.8 million will go to university operations with a $40 million increase in financial aid. If tuition is any indicator, the increase is well-needed as Colorado institutions have averaged increases of over ten percent over the last three years. The governor wants to start reversing this trend to limiting the amount an institution can increase tuition by no more than six percent.

“They’re just talking tuition,” said President Tim Foster. “Tuition can only go up six percent, but fees might increase by nine percent or ten percent, and a student’s out-of-pocket cost is still rising.”

Foster also noted that CMU’s combined tuition and fees increase will probably be under four percent.

“Increases in tuition are necessary for inflation, especially for campuses likes CMU,  which continue to expand annually, but the increase in funding hides a bigger problem,” Foster siad. “Some of the driving forces for tuition increases across the board has been from declining state support,” Foster said.

On the turn of the century, the Colorado General Fund contributed over sixty percent of CMU’s total operation costs. Last year, state contribution was barely reaching thirty percent.

“It’s not that institutions are spending dramatically more money, it’s the type of money that makes these places function,” Foster said.

Lawmakers faced tough decisions making budget cuts during the recession and slowly put more weight on students to pay for college as they cut funding for education. Through all this, CMU has still been able to achieve the second lowest three year average of tuition and fee increases from 2012-14 while being the second fastest growing college in Colorado.

Overall, this is the biggest increase in state contribution in four years, so there is recognition that there is a problem — as the state’s revenue continues to grow, so should the contribution from the General Fund. Combined with limits on tuition, the state sees the need but wants to see that universities work efficiently with the money they are given.

brjthomp@mavs.coloradomesa.edu