Normally in February the Barton Community College Board of Trustees would consider whether to increase tuition and fees for the fall semester. But during the February study session this week, Vice President of Administration Mark Dean recommended waiting a few weeks to see what the Kansas Legislature does.
The Kansas House Higher Education Budget Committee is considering a proposal to freeze tuition rates for the upcoming school year at the six state public universities. Dean said the Legislature might also extend that to two-year institutions by reducing state aid equal to the amount tuition goes up.
Barton President Dr. Marcus Garstecki agreed that the administration should wait to make a recommendation.
“We will probably bring it back to you for approval at the March board meeting,” he said. “Topeka may cut our state funding if we raise tuition. We’ll see what we learn over the next 6-8 weeks.”
Dean said Barton compares its rates to those charged by the other 18 Kansas community colleges and then tries to stay competitive.
“We always look and see how we compare to everybody else so we aren’t at the top, we aren’t at the bottom – we’re somewhere in between,” he said.
Barton’s lowest rate, for in-district tuition, has not increased for years, Dean said.
“We have tried to keep it low for Barton County residents.” In most categories – in-state, out-of-state and online – Barton’s tuition is lower than most of the others. “We can move up some. Our assumption is others will.” Only Barton’s tuition for international students is above average, he added.
The current tuition is $67 per credit-hour for in-county students, $81 for other Kansas students, $110 for out-of-state and $173 for international.
Tuition for college programs at Fort Riley, Fort Leavenworth and Grandview Plaza is $146 and certain military courses at those locations have a $96 tuition rate.
Barton Online tuition is $155. Dean said comparing online rates to other schools is tricky, because other schools list their lowest possible rate but have higher rates for different categories of students. Barton’s online rate is the same across the board and when comparing the schools fairly the college is also competitive there.
Fees are $50 for most students and $10 for Barton Online. There are no fees for college programs at Fort Riley, Leavenworth and Grandview Plaza.
Raising tuition by $1 per credit-hour across the board would bring in an additional $114,714, based on last year’s enrollment.
Likewise, raising fees by $1 per credit-hour would bring in $114,714. Fees can be used for student services, scholarships and the student union operation.
When the administration brings its recommendation to the board, it will also include the new rates for separate course fees. These are used for specific classes to cover items students take with them, such as uniforms, lab kits and tools; certification tests; specialized insurance; subscriptions to services; and consumables.
