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Schools

UConn CFO Proposes 2.5 Percent Tuition Increase

UConn CFO Richard Gray gave a brief presentation at the Dodd Center on Friday highlighting the university's proposal to fill the $45.7 million deficit.

It could cost a bit more to attend the  next year.

On Friday, UConn Chief Financial Officer Richard Gray announced that tuition will increase by 2.5 percent next year to help cover an anticipated $45.7 million deficit the university could have in the next fiscal year.

“We’ve been talking about a range of options to close potential gaps in our budgets,” said Gray, also a vice president.

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Gov. Dannel P. Malloy's recommendation for the fiscal year 2012 budget was $35.3 million short of what the school requested leaving the school with $45.7 million in expenses to make up for in their budget proposal this year, Gray said.

“I’m trying to stick with the major priorities of this university, which is academics, research and affordability,” Gray said.

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Tom Haggerty, the undergraduate student government president, said that he is wary of only a 2.5 percent increase due to the potentially large deficit.

“You pay for what you get,” said Haggerty, who said he doesn’t want to see the quality of life or academics decline next year due to the relatively small increase.

“I feel a little more confident that won’t happen,” Haggerty said after the presentation.

Gray briefly outlined the ways the university will try to close the $45.7 million gap, including the tuition hike, identifying ways to make operations more efficient and any additional faculty and staff contributions, such as wage freezes or furlough days, though that is subject to negotiations with the unions.

All non-union staff and administration have already taken a wage freeze through the 2013 fiscal year.

Gray also said the university will be maintaining faculty recruitment as a top priority, but will be reducing non-faculty staff through attrition as another way of closing the deficit.

Cutbacks on equipment purchases and possibly reducing student support services and administrative support are also likely to occur, which could result in longer lines at the Bursar’s office and other administrative areas, Gray said.

The proposed increase for in-state undergraduate tuition will be 2.47 percent, based on a composite of increases in tuition and fees, including room and board, and 2.54 percent for out-of-state undergraduates. 

Graduate students face a slightly higher hike of 2.53 percent for in-state students and 2.54 percent for out-of-state students, resulting in approximately $9 million in revenue to help close the gap between revenues and expenses.

The tuition and fee proposals will be presented to the Board of Trustees at its meeting on March 23. There will be a public section of the meeting for people to speak directly to the board about the proposal.

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