Students wishing to attend Centralia College this fall will have to pony up a bit more money to further their education.
Thursday, the Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges voted in Walla Walla to increase tuition, meaning students at community colleges across the state will see an increase on top of another 7 percent hike previously set in motion for the 2009-10 school year.
Steve Ward, vice president of finance and administration for Centralia College, says tuition costs would increase from $2,925 to $3,135 over the course of one year for a student taking a full load of 15 credits. He adds the change affects mainly students who aren’t eligible for financial aid and have to pay costs out-of-pocket, as the cost increase would actually increase eligibility for those needing help paying for college.
“If you look at it, this is a continuation of language included last year by the state board,” Ward said. “The impact won’t be as great simply because we’re still a reasonably priced bargain compared to a four-year university.”
The state subsidizes the college’s cost of operations at $4,500 per student. Ward said the tuition increase will help offset some cuts the school has had to make, but not all, as the college is still down $2 million to $3 million on its operating budget despite an enrollment of nearly 2,500 students.
“It wouldn’t even offset half the cut we have to take overall,” Ward said.
The college’s enrollment surged in the 2009-10 school year despite a tuition increase being put in place. Ward says the economic slump is a deciding factor in students deciding to essentially stay home for an extra two years before transferring to a four-year university.
“When you look at what it costs to send a student off, there’s books, tuition, and the room and board is becoming more expensive each year,” Ward said. “People are choosing more and more to stay at home, look for jobs and try to offset those costs.”
Jessica Ramirez, a first-year Centralia College student, says she plans to come back next year even with the rate increase. Even though she doesn’t qualify for financial aid, she says the value of going to college locally is worth the increase in tuition costs.
“You knew it was going to happen sometime,” Ramirez said. “It’s a bit of an inconvenience, but it’s not going to stop me from going to college here because it’s still cheaper than a four-year university.”
•••
Chris Brewer: (360) 807-8235
