In a letter to the Coeur d’Alene Press editor,
theater instructor Joe Jacoby of Coeur d’Alene
responds to criticism of a recent tuition increase approved for North Idaho College students on a 3-2 trustee vote:
A valuable point was missed in discussions regarding North Idaho College’s budget. NIC didn’t ramp up when
enrollment dramatically increased. Many employees took on extra work with little or no extra compensation, saving taxpayer dollars through their effort. Now that enrollment is expected to return to 2006 levels, the school has the same number of employees as there were in 2006. There’s nothing to ramp down. NIC administrators and trustees have received little credit for their astute planning.
A statement made at the May 27 board meeting regarding student fee increases claimed that parents pay three times to send their children to NIC. That’s a false characterization. Property and state tax funding don’t cover the cost of educating a student. Tuition is not a third, extra payment — it completes the payment. Look at Gonzaga’s tuition rate of $17,282 per semester to see the cost of educating a student without taxpayer support.
More here.
(Coeur d’Alene Press file photo)
Question: Tuition increase or not, I consider North Idaho College to be one of the best higher education bargains in the region. Agree/disagree?