Chronology of Tuition and Fee Policy Development in Connecticut

 

(including notations on major changes in student aid funding)

 

1972    Tuition charged for the first time in Connecticut; no policy on how or when tuition rates would increase

 

1973    Carnegie Commission on Higher Education recommends that tuition be one-third of educational costs at four-year institutions, less at community colleges

 

1979    Board of Higher Education proposes legislation to index tuition to a percentage of direct state support per student

 

1981    Special tuition funds are created for UConn and its Health Center allowing them to retain tuition revenues for the first time

 

1982    Report of the Governor’s Commission on Higher Education and the Economy recommends that tuition be indexed to Higher Education Price Index (HEPI) and fee structures be examined by the Board of Governors

 

            Board of Governors adopts interim tuition policy indexing tuition to HEPI

 

FY 1983 Appropriations Act raises out-of-state tuition to UConn students by 145%

 

1983    Department of Higher Education issues tuition policy paper that looks at various alternatives for setting tuition and recommends, among other things, that:

 

a.       tuition charges be set at a percentage of the costs of education per full-time equivalent student (20-25% in-state; 65-70% out-of-state)

b.      tuition differentials by level of student and residency only be implemented

c.       tuition funds be established for the rest of the constituent units

d.      student aid programs increases should be linked to tuition

e.       tuition be used to finance educational and general expenditures only, and a policy clarifying the distinction between tuition and fees be adopted

 

            Board of Governors adopts interim tuition policy for FY 1984-85 and sets new tuition rates based on recommendations contained in policy paper

 

1984        Board adopts a more flexible tuition policy that:

 

a.       links tuition revenue to a percentage of the general fund/tuition fund budget (20% to 25%)

b.      limits tuition increases to no more than 15% per year

c.       links financial aid to tuition increases by requiring 10% of all tuition revenues to be set aside for need-based aid, increasing to 15% by 1990

d.      requires units to maintain differentiation of tuition rates by student level and residency status established in 1983

e.       requires a study of tuition equalization and fees

f.        requires tuition and fees at the UConn Health Center to be set between the 70th and 75th percentile of other public medical and dental schools

 

1985        Board makes technical adjustments to policy

 

            Board directs Department to undertake a comprehensive study of student fee policies and practices, guided by the goal of ensuring equity in cost for all students and distributing state support equitably across the public system

 

1986    Board adopts new student fee policy guidelines based on the Department’s study which stipulates that:

 

a.       credit instruction be supported by general and tuition funds

b.      educational extension be limited to non-credit courses or contractual arrangements

c.       auxiliary enterprise funds should not be used to support educational and general expenses

d.      constituent units adopt policies that minimize the number of different mandatory fees and establish uniformity within unit

e.       several unit specific directives, including the establishment of a prorated tuition scale for part-time students at CSU

 

            It also establishes a new fee review and approval process

           

            Board recommends a five-year, educational cost equity plan of $14.5 million to ensure equity in student costs and state support among the constituent units. It includes $6.7 million for CSU, $1.6 million for the State Technical Colleges and $.6 million for the UConn MBA program in its FY 1988 budget request for the first year of the phase-in

 

            No funding for cost equity is appropriated

 

            Board endorses recommendations of Governor’s Student Financial Aid Task Force to increase need-based student financial aid, create a new state program for public colleges to match tuition set-aside requirement, and raise the Connecticut Independent College Student Grant program percentage (CICGS) (approx. cost - $20 million)

 

            Board recommends supplemental budget request of $9.3 million to begin implementation of financial aid recommendations

 

            General Assembly appropriates a net increase of $2 million for student financial aid:  raises CICGS; creates Connecticut Aid to Public College Student Grant (CAPCS); reduces funding to Scholastic Achievement Grant Program

 

1987    At the request of the Education and Appropriations Committee, Board adopts an alternative strategy for the cost equity initiative and requests $2.1 million for FY 1989 to begin implementation

 

1988    A total of $750,000 is appropriated for the State Technical Colleges cost equity initiative; no funding is provided for CSU

 

1989    The Department embarks on another review of tuition policy triggered, in part, by legislative action reducing general appropriations and shifting costs to tuition funds

 

            FY 1990 CICGS funds reduced by 6%; CAPCS funds increased by 9.7%

 

1990    Board of Governors adopts revised policy that reaffirms underlying goals and principals, emphasizes the need to balance short and long-term impacts on student and institution, allows the constituent units to establish tuition fund reserves for major projects and maintains tuition equalization as goal, as funding permits

 

            Thomas Commission study on higher education recommends a new structure for evaluating tuition and fees, and raising tuition to 30% of educational and general expenses

 

 

1991    Department of Higher Education reviews tuition policy in light of Thomas Commission recommendations and deteriorating state financial situation

 

            Board of Governors adopts revised policy that:

 

a.       Adds a 5th underlying principle that the policy consider cost/benefit to state and student

b.      Adopts an Educational and General expenditure structure for tuition setting purposes

c.       Establishes new minimum and maximum student shares:  30-35% at four-year institutions and 25-30% at two-year

d.      Requires constituent units below floor to increase rates by a maximum of 15%

 

            Public Act 91-714 changes Board’s authority over tuition and fees from review and approval to review and recommendation, and requires the Board to recommend to the Education Committee a minimum proportion of educational costs to be supported by tuition

 

            Public Act 91-256 mergers constituent unit tuition, extension and auxiliary funds into new operating funds, and provides significant financial flexibility to the constituent units

 

            State funds appropriated as block grants to constituent units for the first time

 

1994    Board of Governors adopts revisions to tuition policy which:

 

a.       permits the Connecticut State University to request a modification of the tuition set-aside requirement as it implements its tuition equalization proposal

b.      requires constituent units to inform their respective board of trustees of the impact of tuition and fee adjustments on student/state share of budget

c.       requires board of trustees to develop policies governing the establishment and maintenance of fund balance reserves

d.      brings all tuition and fee polices under one umbrella policy

 

1996    Department of Higher Education, in consultation with constituent units, reviews timetable for tuition and fee submissions; current timetable maintained

 

1998    State-funded student financial aid programs increased for the first time in eight years; by FY 2002 aid increases by almost 120% to over $44 million

 

2002    Board asks for a review of existing tuition and fee policies in response to requests from constituent units

 

Board seeks legislative authority to approve all tuition and fee increases in excess of inflation