In June, the University of North Alabama increased tuition by 4.9%. In other words, what 1,000.00 would buy last fall now costs 1,049.00. This increase failed to solve UNA's money woes, and board member Steve Pierce stated: We also felt obligated not to put it on the back(s) of the students.
Yet, a great deal of new funding is on the backs of students...or their parents. Total revenue from the increase amounts to 1.4 million dollars a year. A university which once touted its low tuition can no longer do so. It can advertise its trees, fountains, squirrels, and lions. What it can't advertise is adequate parking, transparency, or low crime rate. In fairness to the university, very few institutions of higher learning can tout a low crime rate in the 21st Century.
So who will get a bonus this year? We await...
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Now here's an interesting tidbit: UNA offers less grant money each year than the average public or private college in Alabama. More students on average apply for student loans. Seemingly that would logically follow.
Why doesn't UNA offer at least the average amount of grants each year? Perhaps one of our regular contributors can enlighten us.
