University System of Maryland officials are hopeful that Gov. Bob Ehrlich’s forthcoming budget – which he promised would include “a bump” for higher education – will keep next year’s tuition hike below 10 percent.
Chancellor Brit Kirwan said if the system receives at least a $35 million budget increase, then tuition would increase only 5 percent.
Ehrlich is expected to release the budget by the end of the month, allowing the system’s Board of Regents meet in January to set fall tuition.
During the 2002-2003 school year, the system saw drastic budget cuts, which led to a 21 percent fall-to-fall tuition increase. Last year, funding remained the same and tuition increased 11 percent. But when Ehrlich appeared on Student Government Association President Aaron Kraus’ radio show last week, he was firm in saying the system’s funding would “receive a bump” this year.
“All they have said is that there will be ‘a bump,’ but they have given no indication of size,” Kirwan said. “That will have a huge effect on what we do with tuition.” He would not speculate on how much he thought the system would actually receive.
State Budget Secretary Chip DiPaula said at a Towson University alumni event Tuesday it is important to the governor to increase system funding and keep the tuition hike below the formerly expected 10 to 14 percent increase, Towson University’s The Towerlight reported.
Regent Jim Rosapepe said if the system were to receive flat funding – that is, no change in its budget allocation – tuition would increase by at least 10 percent for another year. But he also said if the system receives enough money, the increase can be held to 5 percent – “which is where it should be,” he said.
In May, Ehrlich vetoed House Bill 1188, a widely supported bill that would have capped tuition increases to 5 percent a year while increasing corporate taxes to offset university costs. Higher education leaders including Rosapepe and Kraus have pushed to override the veto when the General Assembly reconvenes Jan. 12. The original vote would be five votes shy of the override.
“The governor gets a shot at it, but if he doesn’t do the job we have another chance,” Rosapepe said in regard to a possible override.
Kirwan also said the override is a possibility.
“[Senate President] Mike Miller has been pretty clear in the media of his desire to [override the bill] … That’s something the General Assembly will have to take up,” Kirwan said. “Their actions will be somewhat guided by the size of the appropriation the governor hopefully makes for us.”
After Ehrlich announces the budget, the regents will likely meet in mid-January, Kirwan said. The Board of Regents expected budget information to have been available months ago; tuition was scheduled to be set Sept. 23. It was pushed to today’s board meeting, but without specific funding numbers, the board delayed the decision again.
