Tuition and aid advisory board, 2-13-09 1
U of Colorado at Boulder
Tuition and aid advisory board (TAAB), 2008-09
Meeting Feb 13 2009
All members present
Website : http://www.colorado.edu/pba/tuiaid/
Steve: will be educational portion of this (and of each) meeting, then focus on short term, then long term
Lou
 Review of website and handouts
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Meetings page and notes from 1/16 – posted
Member list (corrections to 2 entries) – posted
 Reference materials
 http://www.colorado.edu/pba/tuiaid/refs.html
New: Major products of 04-05 and 05-06 TAABs – summary of
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 recommendations, full report 5/05, other documents
Tuition 101 from 1-16 meeting, with some additions
Older entries on that page all need to be checked for live links, relevance -
DO
Return to tuition 101 background http://www.colorado.edu/pba/tuiaid/TuitionIntro0901.doc
 Reviewed page 1 in January.
 Today
 Noted the “about tuition and aid’ postings --
 http://www.colorado.edu/pba/budget/tuitionfees/2008-09tuition.html is for 08-
09
Tuition and fees at competitor schools --- schools attended by fall 2007 freshman admits to UCB, who did not attend here
 Students admitted as Colorado residents attended publics in Colorado
 with tuition similar to ours, plus publics in other states, and private schools, both with higher tuition than ours
Students admitted to UCB as non-residents split about equally in enrolling at a public in their home state (with lower tuition/fees than they’d pay
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 here), a public outside their home state, and private schools.
Posted at http://www.colorado.edu/pba/adm/pw/TuiCompetitorsFrosh07.pdf
which is password-protected but available to TAAB members
Entire document contains many “ADD” entries – things would like which ar en’t in there – DO
Gwen, office of financial aid OFA
 Packaging policy for UG, same for res and NR (not many needy NR); many needy
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NR have own sources of aid
Packaging philosophy has been to increase aid in any given year to at least cover
 tuition increases; ability to do this depends on funding.
Steps
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Student fills out FAFSA (federal form), that determines expected family contribution (EFC) of that student, in that year – seems high to many parents
This year (08-09), we gave some kind of grant to thos e with EFC’s less than or equal $10,000. In 2007-08 (and many years previous), we awarded to EFCs
PBA: Lou.McClelland@colorado.edu
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Tuition and aid advisory board, 2-13-09 2
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 under 7k but our institutional aid has increased in recent years allowing us to include higher EFCs in our grant scan.
In spring, OFA guesses tuition/fee increases, housing increases, so can send letter of notice for the coming year to admitted students, to assist students when making a confirmation decision. Continuing students will receive an award notice either on estimate or actual, depending on timing (planning letters to the admitted student are given priority).
Based on EFC, OFA awards students Pell + state/institutional grants + work study + loans – in this order
Loans are significant part of most students’ packages
Do the awarding of institutional/state grants and work-study in EFC bands.
 Zero EFC got $10k in grants total (including Pell, any other federal, state) – then less total grant all the way to $10k EFC
Judge all this in spring, develop packaging policy, award students to the first day of class. Students start applying (for the next year) in Jan. OFA tries to get through August before running out of money – this year, are still going.
As tuition has increased over years, state aid has dropped, U has increased institutional aid – partly due to state requirement that 20% of any increase in res
UG tuition over inflation goes to aid, part by own volition
FY10: state will cut additional $1m in state aid, but federal dollars will increase
Most increases in federal grant aid have been restricted to targeted groups of students; e.g. academic competitiveness grant
Aid can be used to cover full cost of attendance: tuition, fees, housing, food, transportation, medical, personal allowance
Most aid is dispe rsed to the student’s bill. However, work-study is earned and students receive a paycheck. Tuition, fees, housing. If aid > bill, student gets a refund.
NEED those old presentations for the regents, how does a package work, need, etc.
Later meeting: full packaging matrix -- DO
Now have middle tuition, middle aid. We have been successful in that
 Debt at graduation same over time (but w/i the last year, debt limits have
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 increased, so cum debt will probably increase)
Pct Pell stable over time
Full time for tuition, and generally for aid --11+ hours
Erika
Tuition structure, options. See http://www.colorado.edu/pba/tuiaid/tui_options.doc
for handout and discussion (posted on the REFS page)
Steve and all
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Want a long term strategy but difficult with legislature and political changes
For this year (setting 09-10 tuition)
 UCB thinking is Res UG increase in tuition between zero and 14.2%
 14.2% -- full-time rate is now 10.5 X per-hour rate, but have approval to move
 to full time rate = 12 x per-hour rate, 12/10.5 = going to 12 = 14.2% increase
(actually 14.28)
 UCCS and UCD moving more toward per-hour rates for all hours
 CSU, Mines, UNC are at 12+ = full-time? CK
Governor proposal: research U’s to 9%, other 4 year to 7%, 2-year to 5%
 These are the same parameters as used for setting FY09
PBA: Lou.McClelland@colorado.edu
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Tuition and aid advisory board, 2-13-09 3
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Appoval steps
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Decide w/I campus
Chancellor
Chanc with prez office
Regents
CCHE
– both tuition and fee increases
– usually approves readily, sometimes not
Legislature
 Long Bill, developed by JBC – JBC holds higher ed hearing in late fall
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 Footnotes to Long Bill have much of the action
Statute: regents set “reasonable” tuition rates. Long bill footnotes “recommend”
(not set) but really they’re setting, or setting constraints on
Continuing ed tuition – different structure, different approvals, considered auxiliary revenue not general fund
Fees
 Standard fees = charged to every student. UCSU, etc. Also called mandatory
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 feees
IPEDS, college guides, some of our conversation, comparisons to other schools, consideration in aid = tuition AND mandatory fees.
Course fees – Approved by Regents, reported to CCHE. for extraordinary costs
– postings added to Tuition 101 on REFS page. Charged on basis of enrollment
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 in a course, by the course or the hour.
Was interest from regents and CCHE in the last year in course fees and all fees
(e.g., for speakers; housing). in FA process – include standard fees auto, course fees -- student can petition.
Differential college tuition is included auto
Grad students on appt -- Student is responsible for fees, even if appt pays the tuition
Now also college or program fees based on student’s being rostered in the college or program (vs. enrollment in a course)
 $500 AP program fee, really like differential tuition
 Music program fee too
 There may be both a program fee and course fees assoc with an area, like architecture/planning
– and differential tuition
Premises of earlier TAABs (and earlier UCB administrations)
– preface to following discussions
 Our res UG tuition is under the peer average, and our state support per resident student is FAR below the peer average. Therefore increases over inflation in Res
UG tuition are warranted, until the total of (res UG tuition/fee rate) and (state funding per res student) approaches the peer average. For FY08 we were 54% of peer
 average - http://www.colorado.edu/pba/peer/0708/apptable.htm - discussed Jan 09 .
Any increases in res UG tuition rates must be coupled with increases in financial aid to ensure access for lower income students. Really must discuss tuition and aid together.
What’s the diff among, reasons for all those structures and components – tuition, course fees, program fees, other fees – how did it get so complicated?
 Different parties talk about tuition, mandatory fees, other fees differently. Legislative constraints are generally on tuition alone.
 constraints differ – may be on
PBA: Lou.McClelland@colorado.edu
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Tuition and aid advisory board, 2-13-09 4
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 tuition/fee (usually not legislature, sometimes Regents) or tuition alone,
A&S UG only or all schools/colleges,
 On revenue or rate
Some years, pct increase is limited for every student category – by school/college, by full/part, every hour – so can’t change structure at all unless use lower-than-possible pct increase on most students
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So, we do what we can in a year, and that leads to the tuition rates and structure we’ve got.
 Example: When we changed the full-time rate from 9 X per-hour rate to 10.5 X per-hour rate, we expected to move the next year to 12 X perhour rate but didn’t
– because governor said 9% increase was OK for all and we did that.
Bill: Suppose we ditched current structure and went to “supplements” (see tuition structure options) – perhaps could increase the amount going to school/college accounts
How plan, justify change? – Steve
 Usual approach in a year – we say, mandated costs are increasing, especially from
 state salary survey (for classified staff) and matching that with faculty/exempt. Say, e.g., costs increasing $40m, to cover that we need to increase tuition revenue X%, are these market limitations on grad and NR tuition, that leaves RUG (Resident
UnderGraduates)
Rules of thumb
 1% increase in RUG tuition rate -> ~$1.1m per AY
 1% increase NRUG > ~$640k per AY from the entering class alone. Considering
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 the 4 years that an entering class is enrolled to compare to the effect of an increase in resident tuition, the increase is on the order of $2m per AY - calcs in
All.xls. NRUG = non-resident undergraduate.
This year – expect minimal salary increases, utility increases – haven’t decided yet but looks like will follow classified staff with faculty. So, have potential to do “quality”
– increase tuition, portion to aid, portion to small increase in mandatory costs, rest to increase quality – e.g., students to TTT ratio. (TTT = tenured/tenure-track faculty)
 And, long-term strategy. Have increased tuition from low to moderate, should we be going to a high tuition - high aid model?
Discussion
 Jerry: With high tuition/aid, have taken the state of CO’s obligation and put it on our students. We decided that, and so did the state. Families don’t scream enough.
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Will get worse. 46 th in nation, etc.
Karin: opportunity. Don’t understand the scenarios but what are we solving for?
What need to do to make this a better university? Is our structure too complex? For tuition and fees.
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Recession = opportunity and risk.
Steve: If we can do a 9% RUG tuition increase, $11m, can do amazing things. Put
$x into financial aid. Have rest left for TTT:students, class size, Flagship 2030 list
Ryan: Hard time advocating for any tuition increase. Quality already pretty good.
State doe sn’t want to fund higher ed. Like to see increase < 9%, improve quality a little bit. Student fees have gone up 4.5% average over 20 years – follow that model.
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State will never come up with the money if we do.
George: Many in parent association have cut back on own personal spending, had pay cuts. If costs are flat, how sell to parents of students? May force families to look for cheaper alternative. Daughter getting outstanding education ; he’s a big
PBA: Lou.McClelland@colorado.edu
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Tuition and aid advisory board, 2-13-09
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 supporter, but not the year for an increase (in tuition rates). Must be other ways of getting revenue. Invitation to Steve, to come to CUPA meeting and present how we stand among peers – couple key slides. DO
Steve: If want UCB to be flagship, must change, can’t sustain current approach.
Already doing administrative support at 2/3 the cost/student of peers.
Jerry: all has to do with what state does and what students do and do not enroll.
More worried about these, and don’t believe that we’ll have extra money to spend even if we do increase tuition.
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In coming meetings – Prep
 Res UG: Next year, Long term, tuition AND aid – review premises, revisit and revise
TAAB recommendations from ‘05. What’s changed since then? E.g., CCHE embracing NCHEMS recommendation to drop attempts to calculate “needed costs” per student, and to peg need at revenue per student averages for peers.
Some interest in NR UG and guarantee
Request: Where the res and NR rates are vs. average costs
Request: pro/con of some of the structures at other institutions
Steve: Handed out mgt info cards
DO, Lou: send 2-line update on freshman apps after 2/23 (deadline is 2/15)
Future meeting dates – Bill and ?? gone 3/6, start over – Lisa will be in touch DO
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PBA: Lou.McClelland@colorado.edu
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