THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, April 12, 1995 TAG: 9504120404
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY PHILIP WALZER, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: Medium: 63 lines
Norfolk State University's board Tuesday approved a 3 percent increase in tuition and fees for Virginia undergraduates, keeping the university the cheapest among Virginia's state-supported four-year colleges.
NSU's tuition and fees will rise to $2,865 a year. Room and board charges will go up 4.2 percent, to $3,720 a year.
``I think it's pretty much understandable,'' said Sherri Billingsley, a junior from Virginia Beach. Looking at the Wilder Arts Center under construction, she added: ``These types of facilities are beneficial to students. In order for them to be run effectively, cost increases need to occur.''
At the Board of Visitors meeting, President Harrison B. Wilson characterized the increase as ``extremely reasonable,'' saying, ``Our goal is to have a university for everyone with a certain pocketbook.''
Also Tuesday, Christopher Newport University's board approved a 4.8 percent increase in tuition and fees for in-state undergraduates, to $3,350 a year. That's the largest percentage increase so far among the state's larger schools.
Gov. George F. Allen has limited college tuition increases to 3 percent next year, , but the cap does not cover fees such as health and athletic charges.
Christopher Newport, however, will keep room and board stable, at $4,750, so the total package for a campus resident will go up only 1.9 percent, to $8,100 a year.
At NSU, the total package will increase 3.7 percent, to $6,585.
In previous years, NSU charged a larger percentage increase for out-of-state students than for Virginians. But this time, undergraduates from outside Virginia will face a 1.8 percent increase in tuition and fees - to $6,392 a year.
University officials said that was an attempt to win back out-of-staters, who may be bypassing NSU because of higher costs.
The percentage of students coming from outside Virginia has dropped from 34 percent to 28 percent in the last three years, costing the university hundreds of thousands of dollars.
But Debra Bradshaw, a junior from Brooklyn, N.Y., wasn't happy with the 1.8 percent increase. ``It's just too high. Out-of-state students should have to pay a little more, but we shouldn't have to pay twice as much.''
Five schools - George Mason University, Longwood College, Mary Washington College, Virginia Commonwealth University and the Virginia Military Institute - have yet to announce rates for the next school year. All already charge more than NSU will next year. ILLUSTRATION: Graphic
NEXT YEAR'S RATES
These are the percentage increases and totals for annual tuition
and fees for in-state undergraduates next year at state-supported
two-year and four-year schools.
For copy of graphic, see microfilm
KEYWORDS: TUITION INCREASE COLLEGES UNIVERSITY VIRGINIA by CNB