The U of I Board of Trustees met last week in Chicago to vote on important measures being taken by the University this year. Among them are tuition and housing fee increases, affecting many students across all campuses.
UIS took an average 6 percent increase in housing costs, said Derek Schnapp, UIS Director of Public Relations. “I think that when you have students visit from other universities, we are very impressive. We have some of the finest housing facilities in this state.”
The breakdown of fees shows most of the increases affect students who live in the on-campus townhouses and apartments, according to data released by the University. A 9.1 percent fee increase will be levied on the newly-renovated apartments to pay for the upgrades. UIS is also slowly moving towards a standardized housing rate for all townhouses and apartments over the next six to eight years.
Students living in the residence halls will face a moderate rate hike as well, around 3 percent. The cost of a double-occupancy room in Lincoln Residence Hall with a full meal plan will increase 4.9 percent, around $480, to $10,350 total per year. Rates are being standardized across both residence halls this year, so Founders and Lincoln residents will both cost the same for room and board.
These rate hikes, again, are planned and “no surprise to anyone,” Schnapp said. They are meant to pay down the debt that was incurred while erecting Founders Residence Hall. Meal rates have also remained static for two years, necessitating the change in fees.
Rate hikes cover costs such as maintenance, operations, food, and utilities. They are also meant to cover campus efforts to upgrade and replace degraded or damaged housing, according to a University press release.
In other fee news, a student-authorized Library Technology Charge has come into effect. Students will pay $110 for increased accessibility and potential usage of technology in Brookens Library. The Board of Trustees approved the fee increase at their meeting on Jan. 24, 2013. This covers things such as online journals, library servers, and Internet access. This results in a 6.1 percent fee increase.
According to the data from the State of Illinois and University of Illinois, the state endowment accounts for approximately 11 percent of the UIS budget. This puts public funding for the UIS at the lowest level since the late 1960s, necessitating more fees and fewer services.
