Summer tuition increases by $26

Portland State summer term students will see a 1.8 percent tuition increase over last year for this coming summer.

The State Board of Higher Education approved the tuition increases at the Jan. 5 board meeting, raising tuition at an average of 3.4 percent. Though the smallest increase among the seven universities within the Oregon University System, Portland State summer tuition will nearly match the costs of regular term credits for the 2006-07 academic year.

The total cost of tuition and fees at PSU for a 12-credit undergraduate student will be $1,456 this summer, just $122.50 less than the regular 2006-07 rate of $1,578.50. Summer session director Glen Sedivy said he has made a priority to keep costs as low as possible, especially during the summer term.

“We want to minimize tuition increases and hopefully attract more people to campus,” Sedivy said. “Summer enrollment has been growing, and we expect the same this year.”

OUS has raised issue with the increase of summer enrollment, to make the rates tantamount to regular courses.

Western and Southern Oregon Universities each have a lower overall cost for their summer terms-$1,381 and $1,443 for 12 undergraduate credits, respectively. Oregon State University will be the most expensive school to attend over summer, at $1,603 for 12 undergraduate credits, followed by the University of Oregon’s bill of $1,557.

Both Sedivy and Mike Burton, vice provost of extended studies, said they have been angling to recruit students from other universities who come home to the Portland area for summer.

The actual table of tuition and fees for summer session, which details the costs by credit hours being taken, has not yet been published. The extended studies department said that an update to the summer session web site is expected sometime during spring term and the update would include the finalized costs for each credit amount.

Despite the tuition increases, Sedivy said that the forecasted growth for the 2007 summer session is between 1 and 1.5 percent. He said he also has concerns about the maintenance, which PSU is scheduled to undergo this summer, and how that may limit classroom availability.

“There is significant maintenance taking rooms offline,” Sedivy said. “Our capacity could be stretched and we (could) find ourselves at a flat enrollment growth.”

Burton has similar concerns about the renovations and construction occurring on campus. The building he highlighted as the greatest loss is the Portland Center for Advanced Technology (PCAT) building, which is scheduled for demolition during the summer term.

“With all of the changes coming down, students will have to hoof it around campus,” Burton said.

There has also been speculation that the long-awaited renovations for Lincoln Hall may start this summer, which would increase the need for PSU to continue finding new space. One new space has been the Unitus building, located on Southwest Fourth Avenue and Lincoln Street.

“I’ve had a lot of lost students asking how to get to the Unitus building this term,” Burton said. “It’s not as close as the other class halls, but at least it’s got some space.”

Classes in Cramer and Neuberger Hall are expected to retain the bulk of summer courses. Other areas are expected to increase occupancy, such as the Ondine and Broadway dormitories, which host several classrooms below their living spaces.

Similarly, the science and extended studies buildings are going to be hosting more courses than they usually would and not all of the classes will be akin to the department assigned to the building.

“I’ve had a writing class in the science building,” said Lolly Allsop, 18. “I think I want to take summer classes too, as long as there’s space.”

PSU previously had a ‘part-time’ rule for residency tuition-a rule that allowed part-time nonresident students to enroll at in-state tuition-which attracted much attention to the summer session from out-of-state students seeking to attend class for less. PSU began phasing out this rule last fall when it charged part-time nonresidents at out-of-state rates, and the changes effected by the new rule are expected to carry over to the summer session.