Doane students tuition will raise five percent, according to President Jonathan Brand, as part of the 2010-2011 budget, bringing the tuition total to $22,170.
“The cost of providing an education is high,” Brand said. “Every year we have costs that go up.”
While an increase in tuition helps Doane, some of the students say tuition is already high enough.
Freshman Katie Davey said that over 32.5 percent of the money putting her through college came from her pockets.
“My parents aren’t contributing,” she said. “They are helping me freshman year but they won’t later.”
Davey said she has thousands of dollars in academic scholarships and works full-time over the summer but it isn’t enough.
“I’m scrambling, looking for more scholarships that I qualify for.”
Tyler Maskell was a freshman last year with a 3.5 GPA but dropped out because of tuition increases.
“I really like this school,” Maskell said. “I think it’s a great institution. I just can’t afford it.”
Colleges nationwide have been experiencing the same price increases.
The College Navigator websitences.ed.gov shows the cost of tuition of the nation’s colleges over the last four years. An education at Doane is still less costly than Wesleyan or Dana College.
“In cost, we are below our peers,” said Brand. “I think that is a good sign of our being responsible.”
Every liberal arts college in Nebraska, including both Doane and Wesleyan, have had the cost of tuition raise $1,000 a year since 2006. Despite more income from alumni and enrolled students, state colleges like University of Nebraska-Lincoln are not fairing any better, with annual tuition increases between $300 and $500.
Doane Controller Steve Thompson, who is in charge of accounting, said nearly 60 percent of tuition goes toward salaries and benefits. He said the cost of health care has steadily gone up and because faculty health care is covered through Doane, it is costing the college more and more each year.
But while health care has gone up, salaries are not increasing. Thompson said that faculty has not gotten a pay raise on any level, including administration.
President Brand said that while the Board of Trustees pays for new buildings, the money for upkeep, heating, energy and staff salary comes chiefly from tuition.
Thompson said that the number of staff employees must go up to maintain new buildings on campus, but the number has not increased enough to merit a tuition increase by itself.
With the cost of education rising all over, Doane is staying competitive but students are still having trouble making ends meet.
“If I could afford it, I’d be back in a heart-beat,” said Maskell. “I mean, it’ college. It’s the American thing to do.”
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