Stephen F. Austin State University

Stephen F. Austin State University Board of Regents on Monday approved administration recommendations to increase the cost of designated tuition, some student and course fees, and overall room and board for the fall 2007 semester.

Designated tuition will rise between $8 and $12 per semester hour, four current student fees will increase between $1 and $8 per semester credit hour, and the overall cost of room and board will rise an average of 5 percent.

"A range of an increase in designated tuition was recommended to the Board because state appropriations for SFA and other Texas universities are pending before the 80th Texas Legislature," said Mrs. Debbie Baisden, SFA vice president of finance and administration. "The exact amount for designated tuition will depend on the total amount of appropriations, but we do not expect SFA's increase to exceed the proposed range."

SFA's 2006-07 designated tuition rate is $85 per semester credit hour, and the university will continue to limit the charge for designated tuition to 16 credit hours per semester.

Designated tuition is that portion of tuition approved by local university governing boards that supplements Texas statutory tuition, which currently is $50 per semester credit hour. During a 2003 state budget shortfall, the Texas Legislature eliminated a state cap on designated tuition and granted university governing boards the ability to set designated tuition rates to cover under-funded budgets.

"The administration always agonizes over recommending an increase, but the majority of SFA's designated tuition and fees increase will fund student financial aid and scholarships," Baisden said.

"For each $1 increase in designated tuition, 20 cents will be used to pay for student financial aid, and scholarships will be funded by at least $5 of the proposed $8 to $12 increase," Baisden said. She said that the boost to scholarships based on conservative revenue projections for next year will be an estimated $1.5 million.

The remainder of the increase in designated tuition will pay for continuing increases in energy costs and health care expenses. Between fiscal years 2003-04 and 2006-07, university expenses for electricity and natural gas rose 62 percent, and the university contribution to employee health care premiums rose nearly 17 percent.

The Board also approved increases in four student fees that are charged per semester credit hour. The library fee, which funds a portion of library operations, will rise from $4 to $12. The publication fee, which funds brochures and periodicals that highlight university programs, will be $6, up from $1. The student service fee funds activities that are separate from regularly scheduled academic functions of the university and directly involve or benefit students, and it will rise from $11 to $12. The technology fee, previously called the computer use fee, will rise from $10 to $16.

"The name change for the technology fee more accurately describes the fee use, which includes not only computer equipment, but also technologies such as campus-wide wireless networking and administrative information systems that support the service of students," Baisden said.

Additionally, the Board approved an overall increase of 5 percent in room and board rates, an increase in 30 academic course fees and a reduction or elimination of 28.
The total cost of attending SFA is hundreds of dollars less than the average of all Texas public universities. SFA's average annual cost of tuition, fees, room and board in fiscal year 2005-06 was $14,551. The state average was $15,617, according to a report by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board.

"As other Texas universities raise their tuition and fees this spring, we believe SFA will continue to offer a highly competitive value when compared with other Texas schools," Baisden said.