Bend, Ore. – Central Oregon Community College may raise its tuition rates for next school year, but the increases are small, ranging from $2 to $10 per credit.
The Bulletin reports the COCC board of directors plans to vote on whether to increase tuition at its meeting next month, but Wednesday, board members had the chance to look at details of the increase. When it comes to in-district tuition, which is the least costly category, and fees, only two of Oregon’s 17 community colleges are cheaper than COCC for fiscal year 2016-17, according to a report prepared by David Dona, COCC chief financial officer.
The report was made available to the board of directors Wednesday evening, but board members posed no questions about the proposed increases.
The proposed increases for the 2017-18 school year are divided by student type:
• In-district, from $93 to $95
• Nonresident veteran, from $109 to $112.50
• Out-of-district, from $125 to $130
• Border state, from $125 to $130
• Out-of-state, from $256 to $266
• International, from $256 to $266
There are no proposed increases in fees, Dona said in his report.
The proposed 2017-18 general fund budget was made using the proposed tuition increases. The increase in tuition revenue using the recommended 2017-18 rates is about $399,000, according to the report.
Staff members will ask the board to approve the tuition hike next month. In his report, Dona wrote that he expects — with the proposed $2 per credit increase — COCC’s combined 2017-18 in-district tuition and fee rates would remain the third lowest in the state.
Ron Paradis, COCC director of college relations, said there are generally tuition increases every school year. Paradis said there were three years when COCC made no tuition increases, but the college made bigger increases following that as a result.
The board of directors plans to vote on the tuition increases on April 12, at which time public comments will be allowed.
