A tuition increase is in store for QC students beginning fall 2009, according to college president James Muyskens.
It was recently announced that tuition increases have been held off for the spring 2009 semester, but, on Dec. 4, Muyskens said that the college could no longer prevent the CUNY budget cuts from impacting tuition.
"Neither CUNY nor Queens College will have cash reserves to cover" the cuts in next year's budget, said Muyskens.
It was last August that Gov. David Paterson slashed CUNY's budget by nearly $51 million for the 2008-2009 fiscal year, in an effort to make up for the state's ballooning deficit.
Muyskens did not reveal exactly how much tuition will increase, but last month, Paterson proposed a $600 annual increase to CUNY schools' tuition. Paterson's proposal was not agreed upon by all legislators during his last meeting with the heads of the state Legislature on Nov. 18.
"Thanks to CUNY's contingency planning and cost-saving efforts," QC itself has received a $2.8-million cut, which could be covered with the $2.2 million in the reserves and the $700,000 saved from spending reductions and increased enrollment," said Muyskens.
He attributed QC's savings to the college's pause on hiring, reduction in spending, grants for departmental studies and increases in technology usage, instead of using wasteful paper.
"Food prices have gone up, the Vallone Scholarship has gone down from $600 something to $250 and you have to pay to print," said Farnaz Bigdeli, sophomore, who disagreed with the decision to raise tuition in the fall.
Bigdeli once worked while attending classes, but it began to interfere with her schoolwork. With the tuition increasing next fall, she said she would probably be looking for a job soon.
Muyskens said the tuition hike will actually prevent students from experiencing a reduction in services next year.
Gloria Chi, senior, said that although she's thankful her financial aid covers her tuition, and that she won't be attending college next fall, she wished it had not come to this.
"People come here to get the lowest price possible," said Chi, who also has a sister enrolled at QC.
"I think it's an outrage," said Leo Osmond, senior, who works to pay for rent and school, without the assistance of financial aid. "Pay doesn't go up as much as the cost of living does."
Osmond will be graduating this spring, but since he will be studying to be an art teacher at QC's graduate school, he said he will bear the burden of tuition hikes next August.
Muyskens expects enrollment to increase in the fall. He said that when the economy is stagnating, more people decide to obtain degrees in the hope that the degrees will enhance their future careers.
He also pointed to the opening of The Summit, QC's first residence hall, which he expects will help increase enrollment.
"Surviving hard times is in this college's DNA," said Muyskens, adding that the school opened during the Great Depression and its first students graduated just months before the attack on Pearl Harbor. "I am confident that QC will continue to thrive, no matter the economic climate."
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