Collegian T he Cameron University
www.aggiecentral.com
Monday, September 14, 2015
Volume 93 Issue 2
$24,111,177 The amount cut from the State Regents for Higher Education fund
$611,000,000 The amount Oklahoma’s fiscal year budget decreased
State cuts raise tuition
$760,000
Charlene Belew
The amount Cameron lost as a result of the Higher Ed cut
$8
The amount Cameron tuition has increased for FY 15-16
$5,580
Cameron’s rate for FY 15-16 for 30-hour credit total
“In addition to [the decrease] we’ve had some Content Editor other expenses that have @cbelew15 increased – our software The 2015 fall semester at licensing, maintenance Cameron University opened projects, just various utilities,” with a tuition increase of $8 Carter said. per credit hour. “Those things increased as The tuition increase of well as [receiving] a decrease. 4.5 percent comes after We had quite a hole to cover. Oklahoma officials worked to So, we, like many of the other bridge a gap in the state’s fiscal schools in Oklahoma, looked year budget, suffering from a at different ways to try to $611 million shortfall. rearrange things, cut expenses At the end of where we could and we did do appropriations, the education that. But still we had a hole.” world received the news of flat That’s where tuition funding while other agencies increases come into play, received cuts, including the according to Carter, who said State Regents for Higher a downturn in the economy Education, who saw a loss of from sinking oil prices plays a $24,111,177. direct correlation to the state’s Vice President for Business shortfall. and Finance Ninette Carter, “A good number of the who now fills the shoes of state’s revenue comes from former VP Glen Pinkston, oil and gas production and said for Cameron, the decrease sales tax collections,” she said. cost a little over $760,000. “When the economy goes
$220,000
down ... then of course the state is stuck with trying to figure out how to do things.” But the tuition increase wasn’t something sought first, according to Carter, who said the matter isn’t one taken lightly by university officials. “We look everywhere we can to see what we can do to cut costs,” she said. “We look at our efficiencies in programming. We look to make sure that we’re going to keep our academic programs to what students want and that are appropriate for this region ... We look everywhere we can before we look to tuition increases.” The funding allocation from the state, however, is based on estimates for their fiscal year, and Carter said Cameron is hoping the estimates are correct, but officials are bracing for another decrease just in case.
See TUITION Page 2
The increase in Cameron’s scholarships and tuition waivers
What’s inside Shining a light on CU PRIDE Page 3
Take a quick trip to Medicine Park
Aggie volleyball goes 4-0 at TWU
Page 5
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