Tuition increases are expected to roll into another school year while undergraduate students face a 15 percent tuition increase in 2012-2013, if the budget is passed.
“In many cases it’s not understood that we’re sent a requirement in order to keep up,” said Budget and Finance Committee Chairman Rufus Montgomery, “and so hearing from some students and from stakeholders about why our fees are being increased, I wanted to get it out there in the public space that in order to simply keep up, we are working on those things that were thrust upon us.” Montgomery continued, “So it’s not necessarily the administration of the school that’s requiring the increase, but it’s to stay above water.” President James Ammons agreed with Montgomery and stressed the importance of students graduating on time. “FAMU has utilized differential tuition, especially in light of the severe cuts that we’ve taken,” said Ammons. Tuition has steadily increased in the past four years. The board has chosen, in light of tuition and fee spikes on students, to ultimately serve as a user tax for the university to stay afloat.
