David Boren Tells OU Students Tuition Increase Is Likely

NORMAN, Okla. (AP) _ Despite a state budget surplus, another tuition increase is likely at the University of Oklahoma, President David Boren told a group of students. <br/><br/>With the state's current

Thursday, May 4th 2006, 10:04 am

By: News On 6

NORMAN, Okla. (AP) _ Despite a state budget surplus, another tuition increase is likely at the University of Oklahoma, President David Boren told a group of students.

With the state's current projection for higher education funding, Boren said it may be difficult to even ``turn the lights on'' at the university.

Boren said the university will have to pay $9 million more in the next fiscal year for increases in fixed costs, including health care and retirement, utilities, new building custodial work, risk management and insurance and library journal and technology costs.

In addition, the school would like to improve faculty-to-student ratios and increase faculty and staff pay by 3 percent, the university president said.

``My least favorite thing is to raise tuition,'' Boren said Wednesday. ``I don't get up in the morning and say, `Hot diggity, I'm going to raise tuition.' I have uncontrollables. I don't know what the state revenues will be, let alone how the state will spend it.''

Boren said the state will need to appropriate $164 million to prevent another tuition increase. Regents last year approved tuition and fee increases expected to cause University of Oklahoma students to pay 6.5 percent more.

Regents have requested the first $1 billion budget for higher education this year, a $123 million increase over last year. An increase approximately that size would raise average tuition by $224 per student.

``When there's $800 million left in the budget, we should be talking about no tuition increases and 5 percent faculty salary increases,'' Boren said.

Boren encouraged students to apply for financial aid and scholarships now and noted that almost $40 million in cash has been received out of $50 million pledged for scholarship endowment.

``That's the reason we worked so hard to raise this scholarship money,'' Boren said. ``Please apply, that's why we have them.''

Boren also said Oklahoma's athletic department is now self-sufficient and partially supporting education, unlike Harvard and other schools.

``Our athletic department subsidizes us. That came from ticket sales,'' Boren said. ``Other athletic departments are supported by education.''