BOISE - The State Board of Education endorsed a concept to allow Idaho universities, with the exception of the University of Idaho, to charge tuition.
The change would affect Boise State University, Idaho State University and Lewis-Clark State College. The University of Idaho is not seeking to change its fee structure. Such a change for the University of Idaho would require a Constitutional amendment. While the Board supports the tuition concept, the Board wants additional time to review and revise the proposed legislative language. The Board will review the revised legislation at a special meeting before sending it to Legislature and Governor, who will ultimately decide the fate of the proposal.
Under Idaho statute, universities can only charge matriculation fees that are used for non-instructional costs. State general funds pay for instructional costs. Because of declining state revenue and increased student enrollment, institutions are struggling to draw a distinct line between funds used from fees and those appropriated by the state. Critics have called the practice of institutions shifting funds to accommodate the fee rule a “shell game."
“In the opinion of the Board, this change from fees to tuition is a matter of semantics. Whether you call it student fees or tuition, it is the total amount students are contributing to attend higher education that is the issue,” said Rod Lewis, President of the Board. “This change does not alter the Board’s desire to keep total student fees or tuition as low as possible. It is not our intention to use tuition as a means to increase overall student fees beyond that which we would approve in the way of matriculation fees.”
The Board also approved several Boise State University facility requests including a proposal to renovate 8,770 square feet at two Capitol Village buildings on campus and to pursue the sale of the Langroise House located at 929 Warm Springs Avenue in Boise. The Langroise House was donated to the University to be the home for the BSU President. The home will not be sold for less than the appraised value. BSU Foundation and the Langroise Family have agreed to use the proceeds of the sale to create new scholarships at BSU. The Board also agreed to BSU’s proposal to proceed with the design phase for a 72,000 square foot indoor practice facility. Once the design is completed, BSU must come to the Board for approval of the facility.
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