ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Tuesday, February 20, 1996 TAG: 9602200076
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-1 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: BLACKSBURG
SOURCE: ALLISON BLAKE STAFF WRITER
Virginia Tech, stung nearly a year ago by a multimillion-dollar shortfall caused partially by a sharp drop in out-of-state students, has decided this year to adopt a student-friendly tuition.
It'll stay the same next year - for everyone.
That means all graduate students, in-state undergraduates, and out-of-state undergraduates will pay the same tuition that they paid this year. Virginia students pay $3,500 per year; nonresidents pay $10,152.
``It gives a big message to students to say, `We're not going to raise tuition,''' said Sarah Dotti, an architecture student from New Jersey who sits on the board of visitors.
"It's a little bit of stability," said her graduate student counterpart on the board, Dan Waddill. "That will help morale as much as the money."
But the board of visitors on Monday did vote to increase mandatory student fees for next year.
The comprehensive fee for all students will go up by $44, to $631. This covers health, bus and athletic services. A new health and fitness center, to be built over two years starting this fall, will be funded partially from $22 per student, half of the comprehensive fee increase.
The typical on-campus undergraduate from Virginia will pay about $174 more for room and board. A variety of room and board packages are available, but a typical one costs $3,250 per year.
The board's good news for students came one day after state legislative committees proposed their versions of the 1996-98 state budget, which contains some good news for faculty and staff.
Both can look for bigger pay raises next year than they've seen in awhile.
Faculty could get 6 percent increases next year; staff could get 4 percent or more, according to a briefing to the board by Executive Vice President Minnis Ridenour.
Both House and Senate committees have supplied pay increases of at least 2 percent in the second year of the budget currently under consideration, Ridenour said. The committees can come back and consider higher raises during next year's legislative session.
Legislators will reconcile their two budget bills before the General Assembly session ends March 9. But, as Ridenour said, "at this point, you can't say anything's definite."
Both committees offered significantly more to Tech than Gov. George Allen did when he unveiled his budget in December. Allen proposed $22 million. The House Appropriations Committee boosted that to $45.3 million, and the Senate Finance Committee, $38.9 million.
Faculty raises, at $11.7 million in both houses, win big in the recommended operating funds. But Tech also got all of the $28 million in capital requests it wanted. These are separate from operating funds. Included is a $14 million information technology building, slated to be the centerpiece of Tech's efforts to boost its high-tech offerings.
The Tech board's decision to freeze tuition came on the heels of the legislature's request that universities do so for Virginia residents next year.
Tech's tuition usually isn't set until April. But students are getting acceptance letters from universities now.
"In order to be competitive ... we need to get tuition rates established quickly," Ridenour told the board's finance and audit subcommittee Monday.
Informed of the freeze, the director of Tech's undergraduate admissions said the news may be most popular among students on campus now.
"That action will be very helpful with retention," said David Bousquet. "It's most important for the people who are here."
Still, it could score points with students who are being recruited.
"The fact it didn't go up, I think they would take as a very good sign," Bousquet said.
Some acceptances are being sent to prospective students now; most offers will be made by the end of March. Students have until May 1 to respond.
"I'd say in about a month we'll probably write to them to make sure they're aware of [the freeze]," Bousquet said. "That will help them focus on Virginia Tech."
Bousquet's records - which are not the official university statistics - indicate applications from out-of-state students are up 10 percent from a year ago. Of 5,242 who applied last year, 1,237 actually enrolled this past fall.
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