THE ANNUAL COST of attending Rhode Island College for residents will climb 9 percent to $6,986 next year. Similar hikes will hit students at URI and CCRI. RHODE ISLAND COLLEGE

By William Hamilton and Ted Nesi
PBN Staff Writers

10/6/09

PROVIDENCE – The R.I. Board of Governors for Higher Education on Monday night voted to raise in-state tuition and fees at the state’s three public colleges by 8 to 10 percent for the school year that starts in September 2010.

Annual tuition and fees for full-time, in-state students will increase at the University of Rhode Island by 9.9 percent to $10,476; at Rhode Island College by 9 percent to $6,986; and at the Community College of Rhode Island by 8.2 percent to $3,652.

Tuition and fees for out-of-state students were hiked at URI by 4.4 percent to $27,182 and at RIC by 9 percent to $16,878. Out-of-state tuition for CCRI will climb 8.7 percent to $9,782.

In addition, the board voted to raise the price of room and board by 5.1 percent at both URI and RIC, bringing the cost of living on campus to $11,083 at URI and $9,519 at RIC.

Board members said they reluctantly approved the tuition and fee increases in response to dwindling appropriations from the state as Gov. Donald L. Carcieri and the General Assembly struggle with projected multi-million-dollar budget deficits this year and next.

They also emphasized that the increases are in line with their pledge not to raise tuition and fees by more than 10 percent in a single year.

In a memo to board members before Monday’s vote, Steven J. Maurano, acting commissioner of higher education, said the state budget office has said the higher education system should expect a $9.4 million budget cut for the current fiscal year as Carcieri looks for ways to close a $67.8 million shortfall.

That pending cut would mean the state’s appropriation to higher education has declined $36 million since 2007, Maurano told Providence Business News on Tuesday morning.

Despite the tuition, fee and room and board hikes, “the three institutions are still struggling with how they’re going to make the cuts,” Maurano said.

Along with the hikes, the Board of Governors on Monday requested a 2010-2011 state budget appropriation of $176.7 million for higher education – an increase of $12.8 million, or 9 percent, over the current year’s allocation in light of the midyear cuts.

Meanwhile, enrollment at the three state schools is projected to be 31,358 full-time equivalents for the 2010-2011 school year, an increase of 22 students over the current year.

URI is projecting a decrease of 124 in-state students and an increase of 116 out-of-state students. RIC is projecting an increase of 30 in-state students and no change in out-of-state students.

Additional information is available at ribghe.org.