To help offset the reduction of tax dollars that will be collected by Northland Pioneer College, the staff proposed a three-year tuition increase proposal before the Navajo County Community College Governing Board on Feb. 21.
The increase would raise the per credit cost by $2 this year, $2 for next year and $3 for the third year. The current tuition rate is $70 per credit hour.
“Each dollar increase equates to approximately $50,000,” explained Interim Vice President for Administrative Services Maderia Ellison.
In the first year, the $2 increase would produce an additional $100,000 in revenues, in the second year the increase would result in the same and then in the third year the increase would generate $150,000 in revenues.
It’s also proposed to either increase or decrease fees associated with various courses included in the Career and Technical Education, and Nursing and Allied Health programs, depending on the cost of the consumables used in those courses.
It was also noted by Ellison that a consideration was being made to allow the public to use the Skills Center in Holbrook. “Instructional staff is introducing a new fee structure for Construction Use at the Skills Center. This is in response to requests from community members to use equipment and the facilities located in Holbrook at the Skills Center,” she explained.
It was noted that several people primarily in Holbrook had requested to use the facility for personal projects such as welding a horse trailer and to brush up on skills for employment.
Board member James Matteson expressed his reservations regarding the matter by stating that he didn’t feel it was appropriate for the college to compete with the private sector that offer these services with Chairman Frank Lucero expressing similar concerns. “If I wanted to use the equipment, I signed up to take a class,” he said.
The items discussed were approved for a first reading by the board but more information was requested regarding public use of the Skills Center at the next meeting.
