San Juan College tuition increase triggered for fourth time since 2018

Students at San Juan College will face higher tuition payments in the fall after a policy adopted by the institution’s governing body in 2018 triggered an increase recently for the fourth time in seven years.

School officials announced the increase in an April 4 news release. The tuition hike, described in the release as modest, was approved by the institution’s Board of Trustees at their April 1 meeting and will cause the rate for resident students to increase $5 per credit hour to $61. The rate for nonresident tuition will be increased $17 a credit hour to $195.

In-state students taking a full load of 15 credit hours a semester would see their tuition go up from $840 to $915, while the figure for nonresident students would go from $2,670 to $2,925.

The college’s last tuition hike came in 2022, when resident tuition was bumped up $4 an hour to $56 and nonresident tuition was increased from $14 an hour to $178.

The increases were triggered by a tuition revenue management strategy the board voted to adopt in 2018, according to the release, with the policy calling for tuition to be raised every other year based on the average of the percent increase (if any) in the Consumer Price Index and the percent decrease (if any) in the sum of state funding the college receives, property tax revenues, and oil and gas production revenue.

According to materials provided to trustees at the April 1 board meeting, New Mexico Higher Education Secretary Stephanie Rodriguez issued a statement March 24 arguing against tuition increases this year.

“I strongly urge our public colleges and universities to refrain from raising tuition in the coming year,” she said, citing the record $1.1 billion Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham approved for operations at those institutions and $324 million for higher education facilities across the state.

But in the presentation shown to board members on April 1, school officials argued it was not feasible for San Juan College to forego a tuition increase this year because of revenue declines of $250,000 and increased costs, including $375,000 for the college’s portion of a 3% across-the-board pay increase for employees and $700,000 for recommendations made in a compensation study.

The tuition increases are expected to increase revenue by nearly $750,000 at the college, according to the presentation delivered to the board.

Ed DesPlas, the institution’s executive vice president, issued a statement arguing that San Juan College remains one of the most affordable colleges in the nation despite the increase. Its resident tuition and fees are half the national average for public two-year colleges, he said.

According to figures provided by the school, tuition and fees for San Juan College resident students enrolled in 15 credit hours at the new tuition rate would come to $1,120 a semester. The national average for public, two-year institutions is $1,995, the school says, while the national average for a public, four-year institution for in-state tuition is $5,630.

Most San Juan College students would not be responsible for paying the increased tuition rates. DesPlas wrote in an email to The Daily Times that 55% to 60% of the school’s students have their tuition paid for by programs such as the New Mexico Opportunity Scholarships, which cover up to 100% of tuition costs and required fees and up to $50 a credit hour for course-specific fees.

More: San Juan College receives $1.2M federal grant for broad range of programs

Recipients must be a resident of New Mexico and must have a high school diploma, a GED or a high school equivalency certificate. Among other qualifications, they must maintain a 2.5 GPA to continue receiving the scholarship.

Only 6% of San Juan College students are classified as nonresidents, DesPlas said, but those students will face the largest tuition increase of $17 a credit hour.

The University of New Mexico Board of Regents considered a 3% tuition increase for that institution in March but dropped the idea without putting it to a vote. The board chairman did leave open the possibility of resurrecting the idea in the future.

Regents at Eastern New Mexico University and Western New Mexico University voted down to maintain their current tuition rates earlier this spring.

Mike Easterling can be reached at 505-564-4610 or measterling@daily-times.com. Support local journalism with a digital subscription: http://bit.ly/2I6TU0e.

This article originally appeared on Farmington Daily Times: Tuition hikes triggered by policy adopted by Board of Trustees in 2018