The side effects of a no-tax highway construction programs and restrictive state budgeting continue to roll in. Add the University of Arkansas to the list of colleges in Arkansas with plans to raise tuition and fees.

The cost is proposed to rise, for example, 3.5 percent at the UA flagship campus in Fayetteville, or about $150 a semester for a 15-hour load. Colleges have endured flat state support this year and next year. Flat support means a loss against rising costs. According to a state matrix for college funding, state support is falling annually, to less than 50 percent of the recommended level. All told, the state covers roughly 15 percent of UA costs. When state support doesn’t increase and costs do, the only place to turn is tuition.

Advertisement

Rates are going up even more at UCA, by 4.25 percent for tuition and fees and 4.5 percent for room and board. The assessment for athletics is also going up.

Advertisement

Be a part of something bigger

As a reader of the Arkansas Times, you know we’re dedicated to bringing you tough, determined, and feisty journalism that holds the powerful accountable. For 50 years, we've been fighting the good fight in Little Rock and beyond – with your support, we can do even more. By becoming a subscriber or donating as little as $1 to our efforts, you'll not only have access to all of our articles, but you'll also be helping us hire more writers to expand our coverage and continue to bring important stories to light. With over 63,000 Facebook followers, 58,000 Twitter followers, 35,000 Arkansas blog followers, and 70,000 daily email blasts, it's clear that our readers value our great journalism. Join us in the fight for truth.

Previous article Monday’s open line Next article Consultants to city: Get MOU from AHTD on I-30