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Show Non-Resident Tuition Change Slows Signup Higher nonresident tuitions charged during recent years apparently have had the effect of discouraging out-of-state students from attending Utah public colleges and Universities. This was the conclusion reached by Utah Foundation, the private research organization, in a study of tuition policy and college enrollments in Utah. The analysis notes that tuition fees for out-of-state students at most, Utah public institutions have increased much more rapidly than they have for in-state students. As a result, nonresident enrollments' at Utah public colleges declined by 2,421 students over the past ten years, while in-state enrollments were climbing by 11,223. In 1974-75, out-of-state students made up 18.2 percent of total enrollments at Utah's public institutions. By 1984-85, the percentage of nonresident enrollment had declined to 10.7 percent. The Foundation report indicates, however, that in pdditlon to the tuition policy change that occured in Utah a number of years ago, better educational opportunities being provided in a number of the surrounding states may be another factor accounting for the decline in nonresident enrollments. Foundatoln analysts point out that Utah had one of the lowest nonresident tuition rates among the public colleges and universities In the Western States and In the nation. Consequently, Utah tended to attract large numbers of out-of-state students to Its public Institutions; At one time, there were approximately four times as many students from other states attending state-supported colleges in Utah as there were Utah students attending publically-supported colleges outside the state. The heavy subsidization of out-of-state students by Utah taxpayers during the 1960s and early 1970s along with the increased number of Utah students seeking a college education created an outcry for a change In the policy regarding out-' of-state students. At the very least, it was argued, nonresident tuition fees should be raised in order to cover a larger portion of the operating costs to educate these out-of-state students. , Between 1974-75 and 1984-85, basic tuition charges for resident students at Utah colleges and universities rose by 131 percent, or an average of about 8.7 percent per year. The increase for nonresident students amounted to 165 percent over the ten-year period, or an average of about 10.3 percent each year. Resident tuition fees in 1984-85 at Utah Institutions range from $522 per year at the three junior colleges to $974 at the University of Utah. Basic tuition charges for nonresident students vary from $1,665 at Dixie College to $3,136 at the University of Utah. Under the 1985-86 budget, these tuition fees are scheduled to be raised by 7 percent plus a special one-time surcharge of 2 percent will be added to help pay for the acquisition of additional library materials. Despite the increases that have occurred over the years, tuition fees still account for only a small part of higher educalton operating costs in Utah. According to the Utah Foundation report, resident tuition averages only about 14.3 percent of the per student education and general costs at Utah's public colleges and universities. A somewhat higher percentage 146.0 pet.) of such operating costs is obtained from the nonresident student. The 1985 Utah Legislature ap- propriated a total of nearly $327 million to operate Utah's nine institutions of higher education and the State Board of Regents during the 1985-86 fiscal year. Approximately $249 million or 76 percent of this 1985-86 total came from state general fund appropriations, with the balance derived from tuition charges and a variety of other special sources. CHOICE, PRODUCTIVE 40-ACRE FARM IN BRYCE CANYON AREA NEWLY RESEEDED ALFALFA HOME, CORRALS, SHEDS, TWO CULINARY WELLS, 247 SHARES EAST FORK IRRIGATION WATER, POND, TRACTOR, EQUIPMENT. PRICED RIGHT 679-8633 |