The State Board of Higher Education approved a 3 percent tuition increase for all Oregon schools to go into effect in the fall of 2006. Portland State tuition will rise by close to $100 for all Oregon resident students over the next school year.
The State Board of Higher Education, part of the Oregon University System, has a 3 percent cap on how much it can raise tuition in one school year. The increase will raise all resident tuition by 3 percent and all nonresident tuition, which is already higher than resident tuition, by 1 percent, according to PSU budget Director Michael Fung.
Tuition and fees for the 2006-07 academic year will total $4,737, a 5 percent increase from 2005-06. Fung said large increases in the incidental fee, the health fee and other fees contributed to the increase.
Fung said the tuition increase has plagued the Oregon University System for years. He said that increases in enrollment and decreases in state funding are key factors to the need to increase tuition.
“It’s part of the problem that the state is not really funding adequately,” Fung said. “It’s a long-term, system-wide issue. What it means for students is that it will cost more, they end up with more loans, or some drop out.”
The rising tuition follows a rate increase in part-time nonresident tuition. Previously, part-time tuition for nonresident students at PSU cost the same as resident tuition, but it will be increased to correspond with other nonresident rates.
Fung said nonresident students will be notified about the tuition increases by the admissions office. He said some part-time nonresident students will still be allowed to pay in-state tuition.
Students who enroll in the “quick” enrollment program, a program for students who are not pursuing a degree, can pay the lower rate. Students who live in nearby states are also able to pay the lower rates.