By Jack Armstrong
 News Editor

Western is expected to experience another rise in tuition for the incoming students of the 2015-2016 academic year, beginning Fall term 2015.

According to the faculty senate minutes, incoming first-year students can expect to see a rise of around 2 percent for the total cost of tuition for the typical school year.

This increase would see entering students with Oregon residency paying $1,976 in tuition and fees for a 12-credit, full time enrollment.

Currently enrolled students with the WOU Promise program will not experience a rise in tuition, and will continue to pay their existing level of tuition.

This increase, while not insignificant, it is about half of what other students at many other universities in Oregon can expect to see.

“Tuition increases are the lowest at WOU out of all the Oregon public four year institutions,”
Western president Mark Weiss said. “2 percent for next year compared to an average of 5 percent for others.”

Part of the lower than expected tuition increase comes from a higher than expected amount of funding granted by the Higher Education Coordinating Commission.

According to their website, the HECC is a 14 member volunteer board who is responsible for “advising the Legislature, the Governor, and the Oregon Education Investment Board on higher education policy.”

“There are two pieces of information used by the HECC in making funding decisions,” Eric Yahnke, Western’s vice president of finance and administration, said. “The first factor is enrollment level and student credit load while enrolled, and the second is a the graduation rate of students with a degree.”

“We expect that Western will receive a higher amount of state funding under the new outcomes-based formula based on information provided by the HECC,” Weiss said. The increase in funding is said to be around 20 percent compared to previous years.

Western’s administration has also been working as a unit to reduce the costs across the university in an attempt to curtail rapidly rising tuition costs. President Weiss made it a focus of his time at Western.

“It is imperative that we lower the relative cost of attending a university for Oregonians,” Weiss said. “I believe that affordability and student debt load are among the highest priorities that we must address in providing a college degree.

Students also play a vital role in keeping costs down. Western students are particularly active in voicing their opinion at the legislative sessions in Salem.

“I believe that Western Oregon students are the most active in the legislature when the tuition rates are up for debate,” Yahnke said. “During the most recent presentation to the Oregon State Board of Higher Education, we had by far the most students in attendance representing their cause.”

This task is certainly easier said than done. Oregon has seen a decade of steady divestment in higher education, which coupled with a rapidly rising enrollment rate contributed to an overall increase in tuition costs for incoming students.

Slightly lower enrollment can also have a temporary effect on Western’s tuition prices. According to the faculty senate, “enrollment has declined this year about 4 percent overall.”
“Enrollment can have an effect on fixed costs and the current services offered by the university,” Yahnke said.

“Higher enrollment keeps current faculty engaged, and we have an administrative staff that is set up to deal with a certain number of full time students,” he added.

This dip in enrollment is expected to reverse moving into the 2015 academic year with “a potential 10 percent rise in enrollment with the 2015 entering class.”

Western’s new independent university board could also have an effect on future rates of tuition.

With the Oregon University System no longer retaining voting control over Western’s budgetary future, the costs facing the entering class of 2016 will be decided by the new board and incoming president Rex Fuller.

“The WOU institutional board will approve or modify the administration’s recommendation,” Weiss said. Western students are also asked to participate in the discussion when it is possible.

“A student tuition fee committee is apprised of the university budget and is offered the opportunity to voice their opinion on the recommendation,” Weiss said.

Looking at a smaller increase than usual has left Weiss feeling like Western’s efforts to provide the best education at the lowest price possible has been a success.

“Our students get a top notch education from faculty and staff dedicated to their success,” said Weiss.

Even at a lower price than expected, higher education does come with its pitfalls.

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, the national average of debt for students upon graduation with an undergraduate degree hovers around $29,856. This is the highest it has ever been, even accounting for the effects of inflation.

“I encourage all students to receive the necessary advising assistance to graduate in a timely manner and avoid the cost of extra years to degree completion,” Weiss said.

He added: “Lastly, I encourage students to take responsibility for themselves to appropriately manage their debt load, and make certain they graduate with a degree to launch their futures.”