‘Reasonable and necessary’ tuition hike proposed for Heartland Community College

NORMAL (25 News Now) - It will cost more to attend Heartland Community College starting this summer, if the college’s governing board approves a nearly 5% increase in tuition and fees.

The Board of Trustees at its regular meeting Tuesday night will consider raising tuition and fees to $182 per credit hour, up $8.00 or about 4.6%.

A student taking 12 hours for the semester will pay an extra $96 per semester, raising the total cost to $2,184 for the semester.

The staff’s report to trustees said the increase is “reasonable and necessary” due to uncertainty about tax revenue and state funding, anticipated salary increases for the next fiscal year and inflationary pressures.

As part of the overall increase, a proposed $3 per hour boost in student life fees is meant to offset additional costs of a “more robust athletics program” and to shift more of student life-related expenditures from Heartland’s operating funds to the students themselves, the staff’s report said.

College staff expects the fee increase will result in “students having a more direct influence on decision-making regarding the use of those funds,” the staff said.

Tuesday’s trustees’ meeting starts at 6 p.m. in Room 1407 of the Community Commons Building on Raab Road in Normal.

Copyright 2023 WEEK. All rights reserved.