Last Fall University of Texas Rio Grande officials, including faculty and student representatives, gathered to discuss a tuition increase proposal. Officials examined future charges for several majors and the distribution of tuition revenue.
This month the proposal is expected to be presented to the UT Board of Regents, where the proposal can come back with suggestions of approval or be denied. UTRGV officials are expected to find out the results of the proposal late this spring semester.
According to a UTRGV press release, tuition increase would have a greater impact on business, engineering and communication disorders majors, students would be charged an additional $20 per credit hour.
“If you think about it, if it costs more for offering engineering, should we charge everybody for that or the engineering students?” asked UTRGV President Guy Bailey. “We have a base tuition but if you are in a more expensive program then there is an increment added … the faculty in business and in engineering, for example, cost much more.”
Overall the increase of tuition is set to increase by $85 in the fall of 2018 and $204 in 2019, but
incoming students are not the only ones potentially affected by this proposal, it would also affect parents and families.
Edith Alejandro is a mother of four kids. Her oldest daughter Mara Aranda is currently a UTRGV student and her second child will be enrolling next semester as a freshman.
“If tuition increases its going to be hard if my kids do not get enough financial aid. I work one job and my husband can’t work. I hope the proposal does not pass because I know many families that struggle financially as well,” said Alejandro.
Non-resident or international students will also be affected by the proposal, if approved. Their tuition will increase by $113 this fall and $160 the next year. Making tuition a total of $9,761 in 2018 and $9,921 in 2019.
“The dollar to peso ratio as of right now is very bad…for Mexican people it´s really expensive to afford education in the United States, specially college. So, increasing tuition by $100 means 1900 pesos which is almost two weeks-worth of groceries for a small family in Mexico,” said international student Javier Torres Ramos.