STORRS — Trustees at the University of Connecticut today will discuss increasing fees and room and board costs.
The increases come on top of an already-approved four-year plan to increase the cost to attend UConn by 26 percent. The proposal discussed today includes a 3 percent room and board adjustment, about $188 more a year, a $10 increase in the transportation fee and $66 more for the general university fee.
Earlier this week UConn President Susan Herbst told the General Assembly’s appropriations committee the university’s financial situation was tight, despite a $15 million increase in funding for the Next Generation Connecticut initiative. But lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are worried about the cost of education becoming too step.
“We’ve given a lot to UConn,” said state Rep. Vin Candelora, deputy house minority leader. “We’ve invested thinking that we would get a return on that investment and certainly it would translate into stable tuition fees.”
“I think both the state university system and UConn, when they say they’re going to increase fees, that’s sort of a hidden way of increasing tuition,” said state Sen. Beth Bye, assistant senate majority leader.
Herbst said the additional costs are necessary to cover huge increases in the university’s employee and retirement obligations.