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By Jessica Fargen
Assignment Reporter
Each year, college students might
have to sell a little more plasma and
shop at a few more thrift stores in
order to pay for their education.
UNL students might not have to
make as many sacrifices as students at
their peer institutions, but some still
feel their money could be better spent.
The University of Nebraska
Lincoln had the eighth most expen
sive tuition out of 11 peer institu
tions, fifth most expensive fees and
10th most expensive room and board
_ expenses.
Full-time undergraduates from
Nebraska paid an average of $2,829 a
year in tuition and fees this year.
According to the annual College
Board report, tuition and fees at four
year, public institutions were about
$3,111 — a 5 percent increase from
last year. UNL’s tuition increased 4.67
percent in 1997-1998 and 3.1 percent
in 1996-1997. Student fees increased
6.7 percent in 1997-1998.
The College Board report showed
on-campus room and board increased
$194 to $4,361 a year. UNL students
paid $3,865, which was a $165
increase, to live in the residence halls
in 1997-1998.
James Griesen, vice chancellor
for student affairs, said tuition was
driven by inflation, the Legislature
and the cost of maintaining quality
professors.
Right now, UNL is falling behind
in the salary levels for professors
among peer institutions, he said,
which could be reflected in higher
tuition increases for next year. The
NU Board of Regents will set tuition
for 1998-1999 in June.
Griesen said it was important to
keep salary levels competitive with
peer institutions to retain professors.
UNL students said they knew it
was necessary For costs to increase,
but some wished the money was spent
differently.
Kasey Herzbeig, a junior biology
major, said too much construction on
campus created a distracting environ
ment and thought Memorial Stadium
construction was unnecessary. He
also said the $2-per-credit-hour tech
nology fee could be used for better
things such as free e-mail access for
off-campus students.
Parking also is a constant frustra
tion for students, Herzberg said. The
new parking garage near Memorial
Stadium is empty half the time
because of the cost, he said. He sug
gested allowing students with green
permits to park on some of the levels.
Herzberg said the biggest invest
ment he would like to see at UNL
would be hiring more faculty advis
ers, not just student advisers.
Tyler Shaw, a junior biology
major, said the $33 student fee
increase per semester — $20 for
union renovations and $ 13 for fees —
was unfair because many juniors and
seniors would not be here to enjoy the
new union.
Shaw said any time the cost of col
lege increased, students were going to
complain. But at the same time, they
knew it had to be done, he said.
Mike McQuistan, a junior math
and philosophy major, said the rising
cost of higher education was a “nec
essary evil.”
“You need to keep up with that
stuff” he said. “You never like to see
anyone pay more, but I don’t know
what the alternative is.”
McQuistan, who was on student
government’s Committee for Fees
Allocation this year, said although he
would not be here long after the reno
vated union opened, he was excited to
see it
“I think it will be worth the $20,”
Basic costs of attendance
University of Illinois
University of Missouri
University of Minnesota
Purdue University
Ohio State University
Colorado State University 7693
University of Colorado 7575
University of Iowa 6585
University of Nebraska 6549
Iowa State University 6413
University of Kansas 6121
I l Room & Board Tuition Mandatory Fees f l Total Basic Costs
he said, referring to the extra cost stu
dents voted for to fund the renovation.
As for the rise in student fees,
McQuistan said, decreased enroll
ment and budgets with increases
higher than the inflation rate also
added to the increase in student fees.
Fee increases were $207 per semester
last year and will be $240 this fall.
Kim Phelps, assistant vice chan
cellor for business and finance, said
students pay for one-third of their
education, and the state pays for the
rest
He said if faculty salaries
increased 3 percent, the state would
fund two-thirds of the increase, and
the university would raise tuition to
cover the other third.
But Phelps said NU was not
receiving as much money from the
Legislature as it used to. For the fis
cal year ending in June 1998, NU
will have received $342 million — a
3.2 percent increase from the
Legislature. The university asked for
$350.7 million, a 5.5 percent
increase.
“The share of state budget that
has been directed toward higher edu
JonFrank/DN
cation has been reduced over the past
10 years,” he said.
“Some items that have replaced it
are the Department of Corrections,
the state share of Medicaid reim
bursements and quite a bit of state
aid has gone to schools.”
Regardless of the reasons, as a
student at UNL Shaw said he just
accepted the increases, but did not
necessarily like them.
“Anytime you get an increase in
price people will bitch about it,” he
said. “It is the way of the world.”
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