Cost of living to take a jump for UNLV students

Thursday, Feb. 29, 1996 | 11:59 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- Fees for housing, food service and health insurance for students at UNLV may be going up.

The Board of Regents of the University and Community College System of Nevada will be asked Friday to approve a variety of increases at the various schools starting with the fall semester.

"These just reflect the cost of doing business," said Tom Flagg, director of news and public information at UNLV.

Those who live in residence halls at UNLV would be faced with a 3.7 percent rent increase per semester. The 225 returning students would see their rent go from $1,625 to $1,685. About 775 expected new students will be paying $1,735 per semester.

Campus housing at UNLV is self funded. Documents to be presented to the regents say there is a "significant debt burden" because of the newness of the halls.

In addition, the increases would cover an expected 10 percent increase in utilities and pay raises for staff.

Increases in the cost of food and labor have prompted UNLV to boost meal rates from 1.4 percent to 2 percent, depending on the meal plan chosen. A student can choose plans that range from five meals a week to 19.

A 19-meal plan per semester would rise from $1,071 to $1,086. Five meals a week will increase from $758 to $773 per semester.

And student health and accident insurance, which is optional except to international students, is expected to rise 10 percent. UNLV is currently bidding for insurance coverage and expects that much of a premium increase under the new policy.

Students pay $290 a semester for their coverage now and that is programmed to go to $319.

First-time students would also be hit with a $10 increase to $60 for orientation sessions.

UNLV is also proposing a $250 special course fee for education majors to be phased in over three years. This is to cover the costs of individual instruction they receive from master teachers for their student teaching experience.

Students also in graduate internships in counseling, educational administration and special education would be charged the same fee.

Private music instruction would be boosted to $300 for a semester of hour lessons, up from $120. For half-hour lessons, the cost would be $150, an increase from $75. The extra revenue will cover increases in salaries for instructors.

At the Community College of Southern Nevada, the semester fee for private music lessons would rise from $155 to $200.