Bill would regulate tuition at public colleges in Missouri

Public four-year colleges in Missouri could lose some state aid if their tuition increases exceed the rate of inflation under legislation being considered by state lawmakers.

Southeast Missouri State University president Dr. Ken Dobbins hopes lawmakers will revise the measure so it doesn't penalize schools such as Southeast that have relatively low student fees. Dobbins testified before the Senate Education Committee on Wednesday.

A provision in Senate Bill 389 would allow the Missouri Coordinating Board for Higher Education to cut state appropriations by 5 percent to schools whose tuition rates exceed cost-of-living increases as measured by the Consumer Price Index or CPI.

"We shouldn't be penalized," Dobbins said Thursday from his Academic Hall office on the Cape Girardeau campus.

Dobbins suggested to lawmakers this week that it would be better to allow colleges to increase tuition by a maximum amount determined by multiplying the CPI by the average tuition for the 13 public four-year institutions in Missouri or by allowing schools to multiply their specific tuition rates by the CPI, whichever is greater.

Dobbins said public colleges could be hurt financially if the state restricts tuition increases and at the same time state funding to institutions doesn't keep pace with inflation.

Dobbins suggested state lawmakers revise the bill to allow institutions to increase tuition to the CPI-calculated cap and then by the additional amount needed to make up for the less-than-CPI-increase in state funding.

Southeast's president suggested any college wanting to increase tuition by more than the CPI should have to hold a public hearing to solicit comments from students, faculty, staff and the public before taking any such proposal to its board of regents or governing board. Such public scrutiny, he said, would encourage schools to keep tuition increases to a minimum.

State Sen. Gary Nodler, R-Joplin, the bill's sponsor, said he's willing to consider possible changes to the legislation including those suggested by Dobbins.

Not 'inflexible cap'

Nodler said the goal is to bring college tuition costs in line with the rate of inflation.

"This bill is not an inflexible cap on tuition rates," he said. "It doesn't say schools can't raise tuition above the rate of inflation." But schools would have to gain approval from the state's coordinating board for such increases or be forced to remit to the state an amount equal to 5 percent of its state funding for that current year, Nodler said.

But Nodler's bill also would give more power to the coordinating board to regulate both two- and four-year public colleges in the state. The coordinating board could fine a school a maximum amount equal to 1 percent of the school's state appropriation for violating the board's policies.

Nodler said the recent dispute between Southeast and Three Rivers Community College over the operation of higher education centers demonstrates the need for such a provision.

The legislation would also boost funding for colleges and low-income students.

It would authorize the spending of proceeds from the sale of Missouri Higher Education Loan Authority student loans to fund $325 million in building projects on college campuses.

Southeast would get more than $21 million in construction funding: $17.2 million to complete the state's share of funding for the River Campus arts school and $4.5 million for construction of a life-science incubator facility.

The bill would increase funding for need-based scholarships for students at Southeast and other Missouri colleges, Dobbins said.

mbliss@semissourian.com

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