PARKERSBURG, W.Va. — Despite a recent decision by the Community and Technical College System’s council not to raise tuition, WVU Parkersburg could see a 5 percent hike this fall.
President Dr. Fletcher Lamkin said the college is the oldest in the technical college system, and there’s many facilities that need upgrades.
“The buildings and grounds and infrastructure are showing their age,” Lamkin said. “For the longterm sustainability of the college, we need to be making those investments to ensure our facilities remain in excellent condition.”
With the increase, Lamkin says the budget is rock solid, not having to cut any programs or faculty and staff. He said a 5 percent raise seems high on the surface, but it’s reasonable considering the 15 percent raise that the council rejected last week.
“We’re the second lowest tuition in the state, even though the mean family income in this area is about average,” Lamkin explained. “That 15 percent sounds like a lot, but it’s basically 20 bucks an hour. That’s the cost of a giant pizza.”
Lamkin said the 5 percent hike, which does not have to be approved by the CTC, would have a minimal impact for students.
“They already receive and will continue to receive, those who are eligible, sufficient financial aid to completely cover their cost of education. What this will actually do is make us less dependant on state allocation, and enable us to make longterm investments in our infrastructure.”
WVU-Parkersburg has a substantial amount reserve money saved, but Lamkin said dipping into it would only be done in case of an emergency.
“We’re going to look for alternate sources, in some cases we may have to draw from cash reserves, but that would be a last resort.”
On the CTC council’s decision to reject the 15 percent raise, Lamkin said he wasn’t thrilled with the move, but he understood it and it’s time to move on.
“I think that our job at this point is to live with the decision, make the most of it and continue to do our best to provide high-quality programs for our region.”
The WVU Parkersburg board of governors meets again next month, and classes will begin Aug. 15.