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Pima Community College may impose an above average tuition increase in the fall to help fill gaps following years of mismanagement.
The board is considering hiking tuition by between $3 and $5 per credit hour. In contrast the Arizona Board of Regents, which governs the state’s three public universities, is looking at a raise of $2.61 per credit hour.
Full-time, in-state students at Pima paid just under $2,000 for basic tuition this school year. A $3 increase would add $90 to their tuition bill next year; a $5 increase would add an additional $150 to annual tuition.
CJ Karamargin, Pima’s vice-chancellor for communications said despite the possibility of an increase, the school’s tuition is still low.
“We have the third lowest tuition in Arizona of any public institution of higher learning. And the board – and the administration - is cognizant that keeping the college affordable is a priority," he said.
As it does most years, the school is also likely to seek a maximum-allowed hike in local property taxes.
The tuition and property tax increases are expected to raise several million dollars to improve performance in areas identified by students, consultants and the school’s accrediting agency, which placed Pima on probation last year. If the school doesn’t improve in a number of areas, most notably financial accountability, it could lose its accreditation.
Pima’s board will discuss the tuition increases on Wednesday.
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