Legislative budget analysis: tuition hikes likely

By DANIEL PERSON Chronicle Staff Writer

HELENA - The budget proposed by the governor’s office that will be mulled over by lawmakers over the next four months could mean tuition increases for college students, legislative fiscal analysts told a packed room of representatives and senators Tuesday.

Lawmakers from both chambers gathered in the House to see the Legislative Fiscal Division’s rundown of the governor’s budget, which differed in places from the governor’s own interpretation.

The analysts said a tuition increase is likely, since it discontinues the College Affordability Program. That program was created in the last session, and increased higher education funding enough for Montana University System to be able to keep up with inflation and wage increases without increasing tuition.

With that program eliminated, students will are likely to again bear some of the load of inflation through tuition increases, legislative fiscal analyst Clayton Schenck told the lawmakers.

Kathy Conover, spokeswoman for Montana State University, said the budget will keep MSU’s budget flat until another budget is passed in 2011. That, she said, could make for some hard decisions at the university.

“It’s a balance,” she said. “To what extent do you sacrifice affordability” to protect quality.

She said she expects the university to ask the Board of Regents to approve some tuition increase, given the budget, but would not say to what extent.

Rep. Brady Wiseman, D-Bozeman, said after the presentation that the budget does not necessarily mean a budget increase, if the U-System cuts expenses.

Wiseman’s district, House District 65, includes the MSU campus.

At this point, he said, he is unaware of efforts in the legislature to repeat a funding increase like the one passed in 2007.

Daniel Person can be reached at dperson@dailychronicle.com.

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