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Legislature to vote on 2-year tuition freeze

T.J. Thomson
Gov. Dave Heineman, right, delivers his plans for a two-year tuition freeze at a press conference Monday in the State Capitol while UNL President J.B. Milliken looks on. –Photo by Jen Rae Hein/State of Nebraska
Gov. Dave Heineman, right, delivers his plans for a two-year tuition freeze at a press conference Monday in the State Capitol while UNL President J.B. Milliken looks on. –Photo by Jen Rae Hein/State of Nebraska

Gov. Dave Heineman will propose, for the first time in Nebraska history, a joint two-year tuition freeze, totaling $68.3 million, when he submits his budget to the Nebraska Unicameral Tuesday.

If approved, Heineman’s plan would lock tuition rates at current levels for academic years 2013-14 and 2014-15 for the university and state college systems.

Heineman said in a phone interview Wednesday that the $4.1 million for the state colleges, Chadron, Peru, and Wayne, would be part of the state’s standard budget and that the state has the money to cover the costs.

“We clearly have the money to fund this proposal,” he said.

Heineman said it would likely be the middle of May before the state’s budget is finalized.

Heineman said, to his knowledge, this is the first time in Nebraska’s history that a tuition freeze like this has been proposed.

“I don’t think there has ever been a time when we’ve had a two-year tuition freeze,” Heineman said.

“There hasn’t been a proclamation like this that anyone [at our office] can remember,” said Jason Kreese, public information and special project coordinator for the Nebraska Coordinating Commission for Postsecondary Education. The University System has frozen tuition three times in the past in 1978, 1987, and 1990, but the University System and NSCS jointly freezing tuition for a two-year period is new.

“This is pretty unique for the state colleges, the university system, and the governor to join in a compact like this,” Melissa Lee, communications manager for the University of Nebraska, said in a telephone interview Wednesday.

Heineman noted that the plan would affect tuition rates only. Student fees and other expenses would still be up to the individual colleges and universities, he said.

Chadron State’s Interim President Randy Rhine said Wednesday that if the legislature approved the proposal, it would only apply to CSC’s in-state rate, not the out-of-state or online rates. Rhine said that it’s still too early to predict whether the Nebraska State College System will raise fees, but that the board of trustees would decide at its upcoming March meeting.

Korinne Tande, NSCS vice chancellor for student affairs, marketing, enrollment & public information, said Wednesday she hadn’t been on any discussions regarding the tuition freeze, but that she said the System Office would carefully evaluate whether to raise student fees.

“At all times, the discussion [to raise fees] is always a considered decision,” Tande said. “The hope was to keep the costs the same for students.”

Although he said he hadn’t spoken with Appropriations Committee Chair, Heath Mello, District 5 of Omaha, about his view on the tuition freeze, Heineman said that Mello has been “a very strong supporter of education in the past.”

“Education is the great equalizer,” Heineman said. “I think it’s [the tuition freeze] a great priority and will be working with the legislature closely to ensure its passage.”