Governor calls for gradual 25% tuition hike

Tuition at all SUNY colleges may be going up as much as 25 percent over the next five years, if a proposal by Gov. Andrew Cuomo passes in the state Senate.

The bill calls for tuition to be raised by up to five percent annually for the next five years. In the past, SUNY would often go for years without a tuition increase with sporadic sharp increases occasionally being made with very little warning.

The governor's plan may be a way to allow families to plan for gradual tuition increases, instead of being surprised by unexpected hikes, said Rebecca Schenk, director of Buffalo State's Budget Office.

"Under those kinds of trends, at least there would be awareness beforehand," she said.

The increase would bring desperately needed funds to the 64 SUNY campuses in the face of repeated budget cuts by the state.

"The college is very much in support of (the governor's) proposed tuition flexibility policy," said Stanley Kardonsky, vice president for Finance and Management at Buffalo State.

The college has had to make significant cuts and leave unfilled positions in order to cover a $6.4 million budget gap caused by the state cuts.

"We've been waiting for quite some time for the fiscal environment to work its way out in a way that truly supports SUNY," Schenk said.

SUNY has long been lobbying for a rational-tuition plan. Early suggestions called for a plan that allowed incoming students to pay the same rate for four years, with only new students being affected by increases. This is not part of the current proposal, Schenk said.

The SUNY Student Assembly, a group that serves as a student voice for SUNY, declared their support for a rational tuition increase last semester, but Buffalo State's United Students Government has expressed reservations.

The governor's proposal does include safeguards for students who participate in the Tuition Assistance Program. It also calls for implementing a new type of student loan through SUNY. However, no details on implementation for these plans have been laid out yet, Schenk said.

The plan would also allow tuition increases at the four SUNY universities, including the University at Buffalo, by up to 8 percent a year for five years, a 40 percent increase.

The proposal is still in its early stages, and a lot could change before it is voted on or implemented, Shenck said. Meanwhile, SUNY schools are still coping with the most recent round of cuts, while bracing for even more on the way.

"We still will be dealing with a reduction in 2012 that will be sizable," Schenk said.

Jacob Tierney can be reached by email at tierney.record@live.com.