Tuition at the University of Arizona will increase 1 percent for incoming undergraduate students, who will also be saddled with a long list of fees, including a $100 athletic fee supporting sports programs and facilities.
The Arizona Board of Regents, which governs the state's three public universities, is meeting in Tucson this week. The board voted Thursday to approve UA's tuition package.
Tomorrow, the regents will vote on whether to hire Robert C. Robbins, a Texas hospital administrator, to be the UA's next president.
Robbins, if approved, would be paid $988,000 in salary and benefits, which is more than any university president in Arizona history, for the top UA job. Ann Weaver Hart's presidential pay packages totals $670,000 and she will continue to be paid until June 2018.
Matthew Rein, a student body senator elect for the Associated Students of University of Arizona, urged the regents during public comment to consider what sort of message the high salary sends to students in a time of continued tuition increases.
"I urge the Arizona Legislature, University of Arizona and the Arizona Board of Regents to re-evaluate their priorities," he said.
Most of UA's existing students, who are enrolled in guaranteed tuition programs would not be affected by the tuition increase. The price tag for a UA education for incoming in-state undergrads will be $12,228 and $35,658 for out-of-state students.
Despite a minimal tuition increase, the UA will still bring in an additional $3.5 million through increased fees, which includes the latest iteration of an athletics fee that former athletic director Greg Byrne proposed last year.ย
Other fees include a $425 recreation, $535 information and library, and a $150 student services fees.
Last year, Byrne proposed a $200 annual athletics fee to support a $150 million sports facilities improvement project, which would include an renovation of 79-year-old Arizona Stadium. Student groups fought against it, and the plan was tabled. Byrne left earlier this year for a job at the University of Alabama.
This year's proposal is for undergraduates to pay $100 and attend some games for free, while graduates can choose to pay $50.
UA spokesman Chris Sigurdson previously said money collected from the fees would not be used to pay coaches' salaries.
The regents board has heard a lot lately from students about fees and how the revenues are deployed, Regents President Eileen Klein said at the meeting Thursday. Universities already conduct audits on how fees are used, but that information should be more visible to students, she added.
"Students are clearly needing to see more in terms of their understanding and also some streamlining," she said.
Alexandra Cordell, a graduating senior, said during public comment that sports has been a big part of her UA experience. She attended as many games as she could, but understands that other students may not care as much.
"I don't think that this fee should be imposed on students who do not share those same values," she said.
