2008 Woodie Awards
Student fees to rise; sports a possibility
Rachel Nelson
Issue date: 3/29/07 Section: Front Page
- Page 1 of 1
Increases in student fees were proposed and approved by the Amarillo College board of regents at its regular meeting Tuesday night.
With the passing of the fiscal year 2008 tuition and fee proposal, student tuition will not increase, but the general fee will increase by $2 to cover increased costs of doing business at the college. That includes legal fees, credit card collection fees, election costs and tax collection fees, increased bad debt from student loans, increased insurance and workman's compensation costs.
The technology fee also will be increased by $2 to cover increased costs for computer hardware and for software licenses, to increase the number of smart classrooms with Internet and wireless connectivity and to cover the costs of increased user support for student computer labs.
Typical students at AC will be affected by the increases because they will have to pay about $8 more per month. Attending AC still will, however, fall well below the state average for tuition and fees at Texas community colleges, according to the board.
The board handed out a sheet of statistics at the meeting. According to the information provided, 10 years ago the state Legislature provided two-thirds of AC's funding. This year it provides only a third.
AC receives less state funding per student today than it did in 1965, but enrollment has increased from 1,500 to more than 10,000.
A committee has been meeting for several months to discuss the possibility of bringing competitive sports back to AC. The regents said they will go more in-depth about the issue at their May meeting.
A few students said they think it's a good idea to have sports here.
In an interview outside the regents meeting, computer engineering major Justin Lawlis said he misses all the sports he used to play in high school.
"It's boring. There's nothing to do at AC. I'm getting fat because I go to AC," he said.
Although intramurals are offered on campus, Lawlis says they're "just not good enough."
"There's not enough people or active participation, because it's not an organized sport."
Blair Schilling, a nursing major, said she thinks bringing sports back to AC would be "wonderful."
"I grew up on sports, and it's something I really enjoy," she said. "Even if you don't play, you might like to go watch."
Schilling said she would have chosen to attend a college where she could play sports, but she was injured her senior year.
"I knew God had something for me in the nursing field, so I came here," she said.
With the passing of the fiscal year 2008 tuition and fee proposal, student tuition will not increase, but the general fee will increase by $2 to cover increased costs of doing business at the college. That includes legal fees, credit card collection fees, election costs and tax collection fees, increased bad debt from student loans, increased insurance and workman's compensation costs.
The technology fee also will be increased by $2 to cover increased costs for computer hardware and for software licenses, to increase the number of smart classrooms with Internet and wireless connectivity and to cover the costs of increased user support for student computer labs.
Typical students at AC will be affected by the increases because they will have to pay about $8 more per month. Attending AC still will, however, fall well below the state average for tuition and fees at Texas community colleges, according to the board.
The board handed out a sheet of statistics at the meeting. According to the information provided, 10 years ago the state Legislature provided two-thirds of AC's funding. This year it provides only a third.
AC receives less state funding per student today than it did in 1965, but enrollment has increased from 1,500 to more than 10,000.
A committee has been meeting for several months to discuss the possibility of bringing competitive sports back to AC. The regents said they will go more in-depth about the issue at their May meeting.
A few students said they think it's a good idea to have sports here.
In an interview outside the regents meeting, computer engineering major Justin Lawlis said he misses all the sports he used to play in high school.
"It's boring. There's nothing to do at AC. I'm getting fat because I go to AC," he said.
Although intramurals are offered on campus, Lawlis says they're "just not good enough."
"There's not enough people or active participation, because it's not an organized sport."
Blair Schilling, a nursing major, said she thinks bringing sports back to AC would be "wonderful."
"I grew up on sports, and it's something I really enjoy," she said. "Even if you don't play, you might like to go watch."
Schilling said she would have chosen to attend a college where she could play sports, but she was injured her senior year.
"I knew God had something for me in the nursing field, so I came here," she said.
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