The Slippery Rock University finance committee will vote next month on recommending a 2% tuition increase to the board of trustees.
The tuition increase, which would take effect in the 2022-23 school year if eventually approved by the trustees, was outlined for the committee by SRU's chief financial and data officer, Carrie Birckbichler.
All undergraduates and most graduate students would see an increase of $183 per semester.
Without the increase, the university would see a budget deficit next year of about $6 million.
With the increase, that deficit would be $4 million to $4.5 million.
William Behre, SRU president, said reserve funds would likely be used to cover the portion of the deficit caused by pandemic-related shortfalls and expenses, while other measures would be considered to cover any remaining deficit amount.
Birckbichler said the tuition increase would be necessitated by increases in three union contracts, the continued financial impact of a slash four years ago in Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE) allocations and a decrease in the enrollment of undergraduate students.
Birckbichler pointed out that tuition has not been increased in three consecutive years at the school.
She reminded the committee that Slippery Rock University is the second-most affordable school in the PASSHE system, and that costs at SRU have remained constant.
Jeff Smith, trustee and finance committee member, suggested it may be time to look at structural changes for the university, such as which programs are profitable for the school and which are not.
Smith questioned the administration's contention that enrollment at Slippery Rock will return to normal in three years, as some experts expect overall college enrollment to drop by 20% in 2025.
“If these people know what they are talking about, a tuition increase is not going to save SRU in 2025,” Smith said. “It's almost like we're kicking the can down the road.”
Behre responded that decreasing faculty and programs would not be good for the university, as it would include many unintended consequences.
“You're not going to save that much money and you're going to reduce opportunities for students,” he said.
The finance committee is expected to vote in December on whether a tuition increase will be recommended to the board of trustees.
